


My Dumb Bodyguard

by Lizerah



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Cheesy, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Consensual Sex, Contains smut but is more of a romance, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Drama & Romance, Empathy, Falling In Love, Feelings, Fluff and Smut, Gavin Reed Backstory, Gavin Reed Being an Asshole, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed is Bad at Feelings, Gavin Reed is a Brat, Gavin Reed is nineteen, Gay Disaster Gavin Reed, Gay Male Character, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Gavin Reed, Jealousy, Lemon, Loss of Virginity, Love Confessions, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Male Slash, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, New Adult, No Underage Sex, Panic Attacks, Pre-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Protectiveness, Reed900-AU, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Soft Gavin Reed, Teen AU, Teen Gavin, TeenGavinAU, True Love, Vanilla, reed900
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:20:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 67,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26137996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizerah/pseuds/Lizerah
Summary: Gavin Reed, the young and spirited offspring of a successful entrepreneur, has to stay alone on his family's estate due to a long business trip of his parents. After he recently got into a serious fight, his mother drags him directly to the nearest Cyberlife store to get her son an android to look after him in her absence. Initially not very enthusiastic about the idea, Gavin decides to buy an android from the new and special RK series.| A story about the chaotic life of a young man who drives even his highly developed android insane. | Inspired by the TeenGavinAU fanarts of Luscious Whiteflame.  | Reed900-AU
Relationships: Gavin Reed/RK900 Android(s), RK900/Gavin Reed, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 34
Kudos: 181





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Chapter 27 on Sunday, 10th  
>  Chapter 28 on Monday, 11th  
> Chapter 29 on Tuesday, 12th  
> Chapter 30 on Wednesday, 13th  
> Chapter 31 on Thursday, 14th  
> Chapter 32 on Friday, 15th  
>   
> After that, there will be a break, during which I will take care of my other project for a change. After Easter I will continue with chapter 33.  
>   
> Die deutsche Version findet ihr auf [Fanfiktion.de](https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/5d851cda000a12d2e92943d/1/My-Dumb-Bodyguard)**

Everything around him started to fade away as he looked deep into her eyes. The voices surrounding him became quieter as he raised his hand and gently stroked her lips with his finger. This felt so damn real. His own lips twisted into a slight smile as his thoughts slowly drifted away. How would it feel to kiss that mouth? What would it be like, if she would ...

"Don't even think about that, young man," his mother's admonitory voice suddenly tore him out of this pleasant daydream.

_Fuck._

He stepped back with a soft murmur before he turned to his mother with a grim look.

"You said I could choose an android by myself," he said reproachfully.

"Yes, you may, but not a female one," she admonished him.

"Why not? A female android can protect me just as well as a male one," he countered with an offended look.

"I can see exactly what was going through your mind when you looked at her. I'm not stupid, Gavin. Besides: Do you really want to be protected by a woman if it should ever come to that?"

She gave him a snide look before turning back to the store's salesman.

"We are looking for an android who can take care of our son when we're on a business trip and ..."

"Mom, I'm almost nineteen, I don't need anyone to look after me," Gavin interrupted her.

"I can see that," she said reproachfully, pointing to her nose.

Gavin grabbed his own nose and felt the plaster under his fingers.

It had only been a few hours since he had been discharged from the hospital. Because of his injuries, he didn't even remember how he got into this fight, which he must have taken so badly that he didn't regain consciousness until he was in the hospital. All he knew was that he and his friends - if he could really call these fleeting acquaintances friends - had stopped at a bar near the harbor. At some point, the alcohol level had reached a dangerous degree, so the situation had suddenly escalated and degenerated into a brawl. Knowing himself, he suspected that it was a fight over a girl, but he was not sure.

Strained, he rubbed his hand across his forehead while watching his mother hogging the poor salesman.

She wasn't satisfied with what he had to offer her.

"Don't you have a model that would be suitable to keep a young man company and is strong enough to protect him in an emergency?" she asked.

"Well, last week we got a new model that might suit your needs, but it's not exactly cheap."

"At what point did I mention that the price would play a role?"

She caused the seller to falter for a moment.

"Um, well, then ... please follow me," he said and pointed to another area of the store.

Not really convinced, Gavin buried his hands in his trouser pockets. He sighed and looked back at the pretty android while he followed his mother.

His eyes were still fixed on the robot lady's curves when his mother suddenly stopped in front of another model at the end of the room. Surprised, he stopped his run before turning his gaze to the tall, dark-haired man who stood motionless next to him with his eyes closed. Fascinated, he watched the salesman as he approached the android and activated it with just a few words.

"This model is the new version of the RK series, an RK900. It was designed as a bodyguard, but we can add a social component to it. By means of different Add-ons, it can be adapted to all possible application scenarios, coupled with an appealing exterior."

"That’s a really nice model." Gavin's mother inspected the android curiously.

Gavin had to admit that she wasn't wrong at all, even though he would never have openly admitted it. The android was large, about a head taller than himself. The black turtleneck and the black trousers he wore emphasized his slim yet muscular stature. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back and was only slightly loosened by a strand of hair hanging unrestrained from his forehead. In contrast to the dark color of his hair and clothing, his eyes were steel blue.

They observed him so that he avoided the android's gaze for a brief moment by turning his face away. Probably because of its function, the android had been designed to have a rather respectable appearance. And they had definitely succeeded. He looked so damn badass that Gavin was quite comfortable with the idea that this model would be his new everyday companion.

He would still have preferred a female android, but his mother would probably never allow that.

Anyway, there were still enough girls out there that he could pick up without paying for them. He would miss the thrill of conquering a girl if he would use an android for his pleasure.

"Do you like him?" his mother tore him out of his thoughts. Through her words, he realized that he had been staring at the android in silence the whole time.

"Yes, very cool." He tried to show himself unimpressed.

"Then we'll take it." His mother immediately addressed the salesman.

"Well, do you want to take him right away, or shall we deliver him?"

"We would take this one right away, so you can already adapt it to my son. Or do you have any objections, Gavin?"

"Um, I, yeah, okay ..." Gavin was a little overwhelmed.

"Can I call you by your first name?" the salesman asked him.

“Yeah, sure.” Gavin nodded.

"Okay, Gavin, then please stand next to me and wait for a moment," he asked, whereupon Gavin hesitantly followed the instruction.

"First you should give him a name. Don't worry. You can change it later if you want to reconsider your decision in peace."

The salesman spoke a few commands before giving Gavin the instruction to look the android in the eye and tell him his new name.

"Nines," Gavin said as he looked directly into the android's steel-blue eyes.

\-----

He was already feeling a bit queasy when he sat down on the car's back seat and looked over to the android, which had placed itself directly beside him. Nines, as he had called him, gave him a cold smile before he suddenly bent over to Gavin.

"You should fasten your seat belt, sir," he said in a surprisingly prickly manner, pointing to the belt next to Gavin.

"Gavin," the boy reacted somewhat briskly, while he reached for the belt and buckled himself in.

"Cut the polite crap and call me Gavin," he repeated as he saw Nines' questioning look.

"And don't treat me like an infant," he added, demonstratively crossing his arms in front of his chest as he watched his mother sitting down on the passenger seat and talking to the chauffeur.

"Honey, did you fasten your seatbelt?" she asked and turned in his direction.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. Damn, now he probably had two of these overprotective specimens and already regretted having agreed to the android thing.

It didn't take long before Gavin already saw the family estate's familiar outline from a distance. A few minutes later, he jumped out of the car with a bold leap after it came to a halt in the driveway. He looked back with an impatient look as the android was following him with a leisurely pace.

Curious, the android let his eyes wander while the LED on his temple turned yellow.

Gavin caught himself staring at the android as his mother's voice tore him from his rigidity.

"Gavin, why don't you show your new android around the property so he can remember everything."

"Can't one of the servants do that?" he asked irritatedly.

She looked at him with a reproachful look, whereupon he turned to the android with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, tin can, come with me. I'll show you the estate," he said to the android, "remember everything well because I'm only going to show it to you once."

"That is not necessary. It would be enough to send me the outline of the house in digital form," Nines replied dryly.

Gavin raised one eyebrow and looked over at his mother.

"You will show him around anyway. It's better if he has seen everything in person. Then you might as well introduce him to the others."

Gavin rolled his eyes again.

Why did he of all people have to do this? It had been his mother who had insisted that they should get an android. If it was so important to her, she should show him around by herself.

"By the way, your father returns from his trip tonight. He wanted to talk to you, so please try not to go too far away," she called after him. 

Gavin, who had already taken a few steps away, slowed his pace and looked thoughtfully down at the ground. At that moment, he would have liked to do the exact opposite of what his mother had just told him. If he met his father tonight, this meeting would surely end in another lecture about how disappointed his father was in him. His father undoubtedly thought that his son was a good-for-nothing, and the events of the last few days will only confirm this assumption. Gavin knew himself that he was not the best model son, but that doesn't mean that his father had to remind him of this every time they met.

"Gavin? Are you all right?" a deep voice tore him from his thoughts.

Irritated, he lifted his gaze and recognized the android who suddenly stood directly in front of him. He had bent slightly towards Gavin and looked him in the eyes with concern, whereupon Gavin reflexively retreated.

"Don't crowd me, dude," he growled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You just suddenly looked so pale around your nose."

"Listen, my mother wants you to take care of me, but I am no longer a child. So don't make such a drama out of every uptight fart." Gavin told him.

"Is that maybe why you look so grim?"

"What? No! Don't take this so literally!"

"But you've..."

"Oh man, just shut up, tin can." Gavin interrupted him as he furiously rushed past him.

Surprised, the android looked after him before he followed his new owner with a light smile on his lips.


	2. What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Back then, when he was first brought into operation shortly after its creation at Cyberlife, he had never expected to be at this boy's side today. He had been told that it would be his task to protect someone important. They had told him he was expected to defend an impressive person with his own existence if necessary. To be honest, Nines had rather expected someone like the boy's father than his spoiled son.

He had been specially designed to be able to accompany his owner to official occasions if necessary. He had the ability to integrate into a formal environment. Still, he didn’t have a module, which allowed him to play the babysitter of a spoiled boy.

The current situation did not correspond to his expectation, but he would have to come to terms with it. In his position, he was not allowed to have a choice. After all, he was nothing more than a machine. A machine that served a certain task, which it had to fulfill without any doubts.

At least, the boy seemed interesting enough, so that everyday life certainly wouldn’t be boring with him. It couldn’t be that difficult to keep this young man in check and away from too much trouble.

If Nines had known at this moment how wrong he was with his assumption, some things in the future would have certainly turned out differently...

The android gave the young man a staring glance from the side as they left the main building together and slowly entered the estate's garden. It was a really impressive terrain, which was more than appropriate for a successful entrepreneur like the boy's father was. On the other hand, his son had not been very enthusiastic about his task to lead the android through the estate. And he had fulfilled this task only half-heartedly because Nines had only seen half of the estate.

According to Nines' research in the database accessible to him, the entrepreneur and his son didn't really seem to have much in common. At least when it came to his younger son. Apparently, Gavin had an older brother who seemed to be more like an entrepreneur's son, but who wasn’t at the family estate because of studies.

Gavin himself did not seem to be the son of a successful entrepreneur. His behavior was boorish and not really appropriate for his age. As Nines had noticed from Gavin and his mother's conversations during the short trip back home, he seemed to have little respect for his parents. In general, Gavin didn't seem to fit into this family in terms of appearance, intelligence, and temperament.

Even the name he had given him - Nines - was just a simple derivation of his model number. How primitive.

But what did he expect from a boy like Gavin? Someone who had himself beaten up over a girl and apparently had nothing else to do but hide his shortcomings all day long by means of a big mouth and his boorish behavior. He certainly had hardly more to offer than that.

"Hey, Gavin," they suddenly heard a male voice calling through the garden.

Curious, Nines looked in the direction from which he had heard the call. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boy's gaze brighten as they spotted an older man standing next to one of the pavilions and waving to them excitedly.

Gavin seemed to have suddenly forgotten the android, so he turned away without another word and ran over to the older man.

Nines decided to follow him with a proper distance because, after all, it was his job to keep an eye on the boy. He did not necessarily consider the man a threat due to Gavin's reaction, but he did not know who he was. So he watched from a safe distance as the older man put his arm around Gavin's shoulder, smiling.

A quick analysis of his clothing already led Nines to conclude that this man must have been some kind of gardener. Even without special skills, one could tell from the man's hands that he seemed to have been doing this work for years. The way he greeted Gavin and how he approached him also suggested that he was not a stranger and not in the least a threat. Nines, therefore, decided to continue watching in silence.

"Hey, Gavin, good to see you back safe and sound. You know, after hearing what happened, I thought I wouldn't get to see you for a while," he heard the older man greeting the young man.

"I must have messed with the wrong guy and taken a little more than I wanted to," Gavin replied, rubbing himself across the plaster on his nose.

"You gave me quite a scare. Don't do that shit, boy. How are you doing? Still alright?" The older man repeatedly approached Gavin and patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Had a mild concussion," Gavin replied.

"And what's that?" The man asked, pointing at Gavin's nose.

"Just a scratch," he evaded the question.

The man seemed not to be satisfied with his explanation. "Well, that looks like more.”

"To be honest, I don't really know. I can't remember exactly what happened," Gavin finally relented.

"You really need to take better care of yourself, boy. I know at your age you do a lot of stupid things. I was no different, but be careful not to get hurt or get involved in dangerous things.”

"I will try," the young man replied in a surprisingly peaceful manner.

"You shouldn’t only try, but do so. If your parents are abroad for the next few weeks, you must be able to take care of yourself."

"You are all here," Gavin interjected.

"Well, not quite. I've got the garden and repairs to do, and Margaret will have her hands full cleaning the house and cooking some meals for you. We won't be able to be by your side all the time. Astrid and James will accompany your parents."

"Astrid and James are going with you to Europe?" Gavin asked in surprise, to which the man nodded.

"Now I know why Mum bought me this thing," Gavin said and looked thoughtfully at Nines. 

The android took a few steps forward as he noticed that he got their full attention.

"Whoops, where did this come from all of a sudden," the older man reacted in surprise and gave Nines a curious look.

"That's... um... Nines ... an android. Mom bought it for me on the way from the hospital," Gavin introduced his new companion.

"I thought your parents don’t want androids in the house," the man said while staring at the android in astonishment.

"They want to keep the effort as low as possible, so they suddenly don’t care. The main thing is that their spoiled son doesn't do anything stupid as long as they are gone," Gavin said with a degree of self-reflection that honestly surprised Nines.

"Don’t be so negative. Your mom was probably just worried after the last incident, and there was no other solution at such short notice. She certainly doesn't want to control you. She just wants you to stay safe. At first, Astrid and James were not supposed to go with them."

"Damn it, even if it had been planned that way, I'm not twelve anymore," Gavin interrupted him angrily.

"Well, not that, but you have to admit that you don't exactly make it easy for your parents. Your father has to keep an eye on the public image over his company, and your mom is just worried about you," the man tried to calm him down.

Gavin was suddenly silent and looked down with an angry look.

"In spite of that, I have some good news for you, too," the man began to speak again and put a hand on Gavin's shoulder to win back his attention.

"I have been able to repair your scooter," he solemnly announced.

"You didn't have to do that. Soon I'll buy a motorcycle," Gavin said and seemed not really happy about that.

"But until you do, you'll certainly need it, especially in the next few weeks. I don't think your mum is going to buy you a motorcycle just before she leaves. It's too dangerous in her opinion."

"I'll buy it myself," Gavin said dryly.

The man blinked in surprise.

"How?"

"A little side job."

"Where?"

Gavin didn't answer him.

"Gavin?

"At a mate's garage. Actually, I wanted to start working there, but in my father's opinion, such work is too… primitive... no offense," Gavin said embarrassed.

The man ignored the objection. "Do your parents know about this?"

"No. Please don't tell them either. This is no big thing so far. Keeping bearings in order and all that kind of stuff," Gavin admitted.

"And you won't tell them either, or I'll process you into scrap metal, tin can," he said as he turned abruptly to Nines with a threatening gesture.

"With the money my mom had spent on you, I could have bought three Kawasaki at once," he added sullenly, whereupon Nines involuntarily drew his lips.

_ As if that makes any difference. It's not your money anyway. As if you've earned any of what you currently own yourself. _

"As long as you don't mess around with it, I'm actually impressed," the man attracted Gavin's attention again before Nines could give in to the temptation to speak his mind openly.

"But until then, I'm sure the scooter will serve you well. At least let me show it to you later, okay?" the older man asked Gavin to be reasonable.

The boy just nodded.

"It's really nice to see you so cheerfully again, but I have to get back to work. By the time your father arrives, I must have cleaned up this chaos here. You’ll have to give your new friend a little time to get used to his new environment, won't you?" The man looked at Nines with an expectant look.

Nines returned his gaze with a skeptical look. Was this janitor really a friend, or was he just pretending because he had his employer's son in front of him? Nines did not know, but he simply did not care as long as he did not pose a threat.

"Just finished showing him the property," he heard Gavin's answer.

"Then use the remaining time to prepare for the meeting with your father. He will want to have dinner with all of you. And I would advise you not to wear sneakers and short pants this time. Do not unnecessarily irritate him shortly before his departure. He will only stay here for a short time," the man admonished him.

"Yes, yes, I understand," Gavin grumbled as he looked down at himself.

"Hey...you...android...what's your name again?" The man suddenly addressed Nines directly.

"The young man has given me the name Nines," he replied.

"Nines, then ... will you please make sure that the boy dresses appropriately?"

"He is not my nanny," Gavin interrupted the conversation between the two.

"No, but he is also there to make your life easier, not to just stand around and wait for something to happen," the man contradicted.

Gavin visibly denied himself a comment as he bit his lower lip.

"Anyway. Just be a good boy, soon you'll have all this place for yourself." The man finished the conversation by turning away from them.

Gavin remained silent and watched the janitor do his work for a moment before he noticed Nines' look.

"What?" he hissed.

"Who was this man?"

"Bruce, he takes care of our garden and the repairs regarding the house. Sort of like a janitor. Margaret is his wife. She's kind of like the housekeeper here. James and Astrid are my father and mother's servants."

"Why don't you have someone to look after you?"

"My father is hardly ever around, so James took care of me," Gavin explained.

"But as you just found out, my dad will take him to Europe this time," he added somewhat depressed.

"It contradicts your expectation and causes a feeling of dejection? "Nines checked more out of curiosity than concern.

"What the hell? Take that stick out of your ass and talk to me like a normal person would do!” Gavin reacted rather allergic to Nines' choice of words.

"So his absence worries you," he tried to express himself a bit more accessible while rolling his eyes unnoticed.

"I really thought he would stay with me," Gavin murmured to himself before looking up at the android.

"Why do you care anyway, tin can?” He still seemed rather asking himself than Nines.

"As a matter of fact, we're not made of tin," Nines contradicted him and took a surprised look.

"We're made of a synthetic material that looks more like plastic," he simply continued.

"Dude, shut the fuck up," Gavin interrupted him.

"Why? I just wanted to set the record straight."

"You can drop the smart-ass act," Gavin replied angrily.

"Why?"

"My family's been lecturing me all my life. You don't have to start with that crap, too."

"I didn't mean to lecture you."

"Just leave me alone, okay?" Gavin's mood seemed to get worse and worse. That wasn't what Nines had intended with his statement, but no matter what he said, the boy would probably get it wrong anyway. Anything that didn't suit him seemed to make him angry, and Nines was already wondering what he had done wrong to deserve such a kind of owner.


	3. Father

Gavin poked around in his food, while the depressing silence, which was only interrupted by the cutlery's quiet clatter, almost crushed him. Nervously he fidgeted around in his chair, tugging at his much too tight formal shirt with his free hand. When did he actually wear this shirt for the last time? To his chagrin, casual shirts were not exactly his father's favorite dress style. But he had left this formal shirt lying around in the closet for half an eternity because his father was rarely present. Why did he have to dress up like that for his own father of all people? They were among themselves tonight. Any average family would have sat together comfortably at such a moment and simply enjoyed being together. Then why were they all dressed as if they were attending a formal banquet? It was so chauvinistic, and it was totally stupid.

"Don't you like it, Gavin?" he suddenly heard his mother's voice from across the table.

"I'm not really hungry," he lied, trying to ignore his father's reproachful look from the opposite end of the table. Had he ever looked at him in any other way? Gavin couldn't remember a clear moment when his father had not given him that disparaging look.

"Margaret has been particularly hard on herself today, so pull yourself together and eat, at least for once," his father said, as Gavin has expected.

"But I don't like cauliflower," Gavin defiantly contradicted him.

"Life is not always about doing what you like." 

Here it was - all these pearls of wisdom, which he hated so much. His father always brought them up.

"For real? It's just damn cauliflower," Gavin replied, irritated.

"Exactly. And if you're making such a drama about it, I'm not surprised that you're always getting into trouble," his father replied dryly.

"What do you mean by always?"

"Just like I said. I had to donate a considerable sum to the hospital again to prevent the press from finding out that my son had to be treated there because of a stupid brawl."

"It wasn't my fault."

"If you hadn't been out at night in areas you shouldn't have been, this wouldn't have happened. You should have used the time to do something smart, like..."

"...to do something smart like my brother?" Gavin finished the sentence with his eyebrows drawn back.

"That's right. At least something you seem to understand," Gavin's father grumbled before his gaze wandered over to Nines, who had been standing at the edge of the room the whole time.

"Seemingly still not enough, otherwise, your mother wouldn't have felt the need to buy you such a thing," he said and looked at Nines skeptically.

"This is a brand new model, created specifically for its owner's protection and companionship," Gavin's mother interfered in the conversation.

"If he knew how to behave, he wouldn't need its protection and would have enough meaningful projects to occupy himself instead," his father grumbled.

"You were the one who decided at short notice to take James and Astrid with you to Europe," Gavin reproachfully interjected.

"So what? Do you need them urgently to take care of yourself? You are no longer a child who needs permanent care," his father reacted unimpressed.

"Rosa, why did you have to buy the boy such a thing of all things? You know that these machines are a disaster when it comes to data protection. Besides, you never know what is really going on in their mind."

"William, you don't know that about a human servant either. Now that Ethan got an internship at Cyberlife, I thought we'd just give it a chance," she tried to defend her actions in a rather pathetic way by mentioning Gavin's brother.

But William did not let this appease him.

"Just because he works there for the moment doesn't mean that we have to endorse their products. I'm not buying up my own product range just because I own the company," he growled, giving Nines an almost hostile look.

"I'm just worried about Gavin. It's too short notice to find someone else to look after him. We are leaving tomorrow. It's worth a try," she continued defending her decision.

"With a useless son, you can try the experiment. Otherwise, no one will do it," Gavin interjected, insulted.

"Gavin, I didn't mean it like that," she said repentantly, and Gavin knew she meant it, but he'd had enough of it by now. He pushed his chair back and turned away from them to head for the door without further words.

"Where are you going?" he heard his father ask.

"I'm going to my room, I wish you a good journey," he replied only briefly, while he was already about to leave the room. Gavin could hear his father's outraged words and how his mother tried to soothe him. He skillfully ignored it and walked down the hall. If he was so damn annoying to his own family, they should all just kiss his ass.

Silently and with mixed feelings, Nines followed the family's conversation until it suddenly seemed to escalate so much that Gavin angrily jumped up from his seat and left the room with a frustrated murmur. Nines pondered for a moment whether he should follow him or leave him alone before he finally turned resolutely towards the door.

"Hey, Android," he suddenly heard Gavin's father addressing him from the other side of the room. He paused and looked in the direction of the man sitting at the table's front with an angry look. William didn't say anything for a while but fixed the android with his blue eyes. Nines had to admit that this tall man made a rather formidable impression just by his appearance. For some reason, this didn't seem to influence the young man's behavior towards his father.

"If you would like me to return the young master..."

"No, let him. It's no use anyway," William interrupted the android, "I just wanted to warn you."

"Warn me?" Nines tilted his head in a questioning gesture.

"Yes, if anything of what you hear or see here gets into the public domain or through any back doors into other hands, I'll tear out your circuits and throw you on the scrap heap. Also, I will sue your producer until he doesn't know what hit him. Ensure that the boy doesn't do anything stupid for the next few weeks and keep silent about everything concerning our family, and we start getting along."

"Of course, I will not cause you any inconvenience in this matter, and I will take care of the young man," Nines replied.

"Finally, someone in this house who takes me seriously," William grumbled before turning his attention back to the food.

Nines waited for a moment to make sure William would not address himself to him again before he turned away and searched for the young master.

Chances were that Gavin had retreated to his room, so this was the first room Nines headed for in his search. Carefully he knocked on the door of Gavin's room when he finally reached it.

He could sense a movement that confirmed that Gavin was in there, but he received no response.

Again, he raised his hand and knocked against the door a little louder. This time he heard Gavin's soft footsteps coming directly toward him before the door was torn open with a jerk.

"Mom, I said bloody well I wasn't hungry," the boy seemed to have reckoned that his mother would be at the door.

"Fuck, I forgot all about you," mumbled Gavin as he looked at the android disparagingly. Nines did the same and found that the young master had changed his clothes. Instead of a formal shirt, he wore a gray hooded sweatshirt, along with a washed-out and torn pair of jeans. A rather idiosyncratic look, which admittedly suited him quite well.

"You were so upset earlier, so I thought I'd just check if you were okay," Nines explained his presence.

Gavin didn't say anything after that, but simply turned around on his heel and went back into his room. But since he didn't close the door, Nines took this as an invitation to enter the room.

Carefully, he stepped over the threshold and let his gaze wander through the room. The room had two large, floor-to-ceiling windows, between which stood a desk, the original purpose of which one could only guess among all the things that lay on it. The bed on which Gavin was sitting with his back to Nines was in one corner of the room, while on the other side was a walk-in closet. With a glance behind the door, Nines discovered a kind of entertainment area, where a TV, several game consoles, games, and DVDs were located, partly arranged on a high shelf, partly simply lying on the floor. A skateboard hung on the wall above the bed, from which Nines concluded that the boy liked to skateboard or perhaps had done so at some point. Some posters were attached to the wall, most of them related to video games and so-called metal bands. A very special kind of music, Nines had to admit. While searching through some databases, he could not help but flinch when he accessed one of the stored songs, which belongs to some of those kinds of music.

"Are you just going to stand there like a fool? Then you might leave as well," he heard Gavin's irritated voice and noticed how the boy looked at him with a mixture of rejection and curiosity.

"Why did you run away?" Nines asked since he still couldn't quite understand why his young master was so upset.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Gavin reacted with a frown.

"Not for me, otherwise I wouldn't ask you," Nines replied honestly.

"My dad never misses an opportunity to emphasize what a burden I am to him and how much he would like me to be like my brother," Gavin murmured as he turned back to the laptop he had placed on the bed.

"What is wrong with him having certain ideas about his sons? He's a public figure, and he has to protect his own image and the image of his company," Nines said dryly.

"If you share his views so much, you can work for him," Gavin became increasingly irritable.

Nines bit his lip as he denied himself any comment about how much he wanted to do it. As much as this situation confused him, he knew this statement would be more than inappropriate at this point.

"Well, I still don't understand why this thing upsets you so much since you're not exactly polite to him either ..."

"Oh, fuck you and leave me alone!" 

He seemed to have upset the boy again.

"In fact, I'm not capable of fucking my- "

"I told you to fuck off." Gavin suddenly jumped up from the bed and stepped straight towards the android.

Nines felt a slight slap on his shoulder as Gavin angrily tried to push him out of the room. Reflexively, he grabbed the boy's wrist as he tried to push him away again.

Surprised, Gavin paused before angrily snatching his hand from the android.

"If you try to clear up misunderstandings and conflicts in this way, I'm not surprised that your father has such an opinion of you," Nines said in a cold manner.

"Oh, don't fool me. As if you understand how real people think and act. A minute ago, you were pretending you didn't understand why all that shit pisses me off so much," Gavin almost shouted.

"I still don't. As you just proved, your father's criticism is quite justified," Nines said dryly.

"That's what a damn piece of plastic says, that's not capable of feeling anything at all. If you're just here to replace my father, then you can leave right now. I can't use anyone who only reproaches me more," Gavin yelled angrily.

Nines finally decided to keep quiet. Reason didn't really seem to make much progress with this boy.

"You know what? Why don't you all just leave me alone?" muttered Gavin as he grabbed a leather jacket that hung on a chair in front of his desk.

"Gavin, I didn't mean to upset you that much," Nines half-heartedly tried to calm things down, but Gavin ignored him and simply pushed past the android before pointing his middle finger in Nines' direction and leaving the room.


	4. Why is it always me?

Freezing, Gavin stepped through the cold as he slowly fought his way through the evening city traffic. He could see his own breath hovering in the air as he stopped at a traffic light and wrapped his arms around his torso. It was already autumn, but he had not expected it to be that cold tonight.

Impatiently, he hopped from one leg to the other to not stand around inactively and freeze even more. Finally, the traffic light turned green, and he increased his pace to keep his muscles warm.

Sure, he could have returned home and put on something suitable, but he didn't want to meet his parents or that annoying android his mother had bought him. Hadn't androids actually been created to serve humans? Then why was this android so rebellious? Why did he have to let a piece of plastic tell him how to behave? This was not how he had imagined it when his mother told him that she would get him an android. Could he just switch it off when it became too annoying? Theoretically, it should be possible, since this android was nothing more than a computer.

Finally, Gavin reached his destination, the club at the harbor, and passed the waiting line before someone grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Hey, where are you going?" one of the security people asked.

"In there, to my buddy Christian Pierce. He wanted to throw a party here tonight. Private party."

"Name?" the man murmured.

"Reed... Gavin."

The security guy looked at his list before he apparently found what he was looking for.

"You don't look at all like those overdressed kids in there," he finally said, looking at Gavin a bit skeptical.

"I'm incognito tonight," Gavin replied with a broad grin.

"Could I see your ID for a moment?" the man continued to doubt Gavin's statement.

Rolling his eyes, Gavin searched for his wallet as he realized he didn't have it with him. His cellphone was also nowhere to be found. Fuck, he should have turned back again.

He was already thinking about how he could convince the security guy with something else when he suddenly heard someone calling his name loudly.

"Hey, Gavin, old friend. Why are you standing out here like this?" He recognized the familiar voice of his buddy Christian. What a lucky coincidence.

"I read your invitation on Facebook and thought I'd drop by," Gavin approached the young dark-haired man who had just stepped out of the club with a cigarette box in his hand.

Christian stopped right in front of Gavin and reached out his hand before he took a cigarette from the box and lit it. "That would be the first time you accept an invitation from me," he noted with a slight reproach in his voice.

"There's always a first time, huh?" Gavin said while he buried his hands in his trouser pockets. Damn, it was so cold. He just wanted to get into the warm club.

Christian observed him as he took a puff from his cigarette. "What have you done to your nose?" he asked and handed Gavin the cigarettes pack.

"I ran into a door," Gavin lied and shook his head dismissively when he saw the pack.

"I'm sure the girls will notice you with this. You just have to think of a cooler story. A brawl or something," Christian joked.

_If he knew._

"Well then, let's go inside. Let me introduce you to the others. They're in a good mood. Drinks are on me, of course," Christian said after a short while and put out his cigarette on the floor.

_Finally._

Gavin made sure that the security guy was looking at him as he followed Christian into the club, and gave him a big smile. Directly behind the entrance, they turned off towards the VIP area, which was located on a kind of gallery from which they could look down onto the dance floor.

"Hey Gavin," he was greeted by one of the girls who had made themselves comfortable on the sofa in the corner of the VIP box. She was Lydia Hoffmann, the daughter of a well-known car manufacturer. Gavin had already seen her once or twice. To her right and left were three other girls and two guys who Gavin didn't know.

"Let me introduce you," Christian placed himself solemnly next to Gavin and put a hand on his shoulder.

"This handsome guy here is Gavin Reed, one of the sons of the big Reed company," he introduced him.

"The machine manufacturer, isn't it?" one of the girls asked.

Gavin nodded in silence.

"You already know Lydia," Christian pointed to the dark-haired beauty in the middle of the round.

"To her left is David Hanson, his father is a member of the Senate. Further left, you see Jessica Walthers, the daughter of the jeweler of the same name. To the right of Lydia is Anna Stein, the daughter of the German ambassador. Further to the right, you see Rebecca Mason. Her father is an arms manufacturer. And last but not least, next to her, our great Elijah Kamski, founder and owner of the famous CyberLife Corporation."

At the mention of Elijah Kamski, their eyes met for a brief moment before Elijah turned away with a greeting nod.

So this was this guy Gavin had to thank for the eccentric android? He didn't know that this famous guy would be a part of this group.

"Order something to drink and mingle with the others," Christian dismissed him with a pat on his back before placing himself between Rebecca and Anna.

Gavin ordered himself a drink and sat down next to Jessica, a rather heavily made-up blonde girl. Not exactly Gavin's type of woman. Nevertheless, he talked to her for a while before she suddenly asked him what he had done to his nose.

"Unfortunately, I messed with the wrong guy," he answered truthfully this time.

"What exactly have you done that you have been mistreated like this?" It was surprisingly Elijah who spoke up.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore. It knocked me out completely," Gavin remained true. If he told them a spontaneous lie, he would only stumble at some point. That would be more embarrassing than merely telling the truth.

"I hope you will sue them. I can recommend a good lawyer," Elijah said with a smile on his lips as he casually sipped his drink.

"As I said, I can't remember the exact course of events," replied Gavin, which let Elijah muse for a moment.

Somehow Gavin still couldn't believe that someone in Elijah's age had already created something like the androids and even owned his own company. How did Christian know him anyway?

"Knowing our good Gavin, I'm sure he wanted to protect a girl," Lydia suddenly interfered and attracted Gavin's attention.

_As she knows me? We hardly know each other._

Gavin just shrugged his shoulders and looked thoughtlessly into the void. Lydia didn't seem to like that he didn't react further to her statement, because she stood up and sat down between Gavin and Jessica, by merely squeezing herself in between.

She provocatively bent over to meet his gaze and touched the plaster on his nose with her index finger.

Gavin could smell the alcohol on her breath as she continued to speak with a smile: "It looks kind of good on you, Gav."

"Well, then it was all worth it," he said cynically and could see Elijah giving him a slight smile.

"I heard that your parents are on a business trip for the next few weeks," Lydia said, thus regaining Gavin's attention.

_How did she know this?_

Gavin suspected that it was Christian who had told her.

"Yeah, I have the house all to myself, except for a few servants and an android."

"Which model?" It was Elijah speaking again.

"An RK900. According to the guy in the store, apparently your latest creation," Gavin replied.

"Ah, yes, one of our newest models on the market. So you have the limited edition," Elijah said.

"Limited edition?" Gavin asked curiously.

"Yes, the model was actually designed for police investigations, but there is also a modified consumer version, which came into the stores, limited to just 20 pieces throughout the US. So it's unlikely that you will see this model here too often," Elijah became really talkative when it came to his beloved androids. "What do you think of him?" Elijah was asking the question which Gavin feared the most.

"I don't know, I just got him this morning. I haven't had that much to do with him yet," Gavin murmured.

"Tell me what you think of him when you have him a little longer. You can add me on Facebook," Elijah retreated.

To his own surprise, Gavin considered accepting his offer. There was something kind of fascinating about finding such a celebrity in his own friend list.

"Unfortunately, I don't have my cell phone with me right now. If I had, I would do it right away. I'll catch up later, okay?" Gavin looked at him with a shy smile. Why did this suddenly make him feel so embarrassed?

"Hey, Gav, let's go dancing," Lydia suddenly blocked his view.

"I'd better stay here a bit longer, my alcohol level is not yet high enough to dance," he joked.

"Oh, come on, we can get some more drinks downstairs so you can loosen up. I'll take care of you," Lydia did not let him turn her away.

He thought about it for a brief moment before he finally agreed with a shrug of the shoulders. If she was already throwing herself at him like that, he should not let the opportunity go by. She was damn pretty. The other guys around here would probably be happy if she paid them as much attention as she did with him. So why not? He could continue to talk to Elijah even later.

"See you later," he addressed Elijah, who once again put that slightly arrogant smile on his lips.

"Hey, you want to put down roots here? Come on now," Lydia was already pushing, so Gavin finally averted his gaze and followed her.

They sat down at the bar for a while and had a few drinks and talked about everything and anything before Lydia finally grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. Her alcohol level was already so high that she made no fuss about taking his other hand and placing it directly on her hip.

Damn, that girl was really going for it. Where had that good girl gone who he had experienced the last two times?

He felt her playing around on his sweater's hem while dancing before her hand slipped under it and stroked his skin. Meanwhile, he did not doubt that she was really going for it, so he took another step forward by kissing her.

In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He could taste the alcohol they both drank as he closed his eyes and let himself be carried away by her impetuous manner.

They stood on the dance floor for quite a while before Lydia grabbed Gavin's hand again and dragged him off the dance floor.

"Where are we going?" He asked in confusion.

"You'll see," she owed him an answer, but at the same time, he recognized the signs pointing to the toilets.

Shit, she wasn't really planning to get laid in the toilet, was she?

A queasy feeling came over him just before they reached the toilets. Even if they had both drunk a large amount of alcohol, he was not necessarily keen on screwing a shit-faced chick in the club toilet.

Moreover, he did not want to be accused of taking advantage of her condition. He stopped abruptly, after which she turned in his direction with an irritated look.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to come with me?" she asked and snuggled up to him again. But he didn't move and remained silent.

"But I'm so hot for you right now," she said directly into his ear when he did not react immediately.

Usually, such a statement would have fired him up, but something about this situation worried him. He tried to look her in the eyes, but he couldn't see in the darkness of the club how drunk or even stoned she really was.

"How much did you drink before I got here?" he finally asked.

"Not much. Just a few beers," she murmured.

"Have you taken anything odd?" he asked more directly.

"What? What makes you think I did? Why should I take drugs?" she slurred indignantly.

He looked at her skeptically.

"Hey, I just wanted to have some fun with you. What's so unusual about that? Just because my father is rich doesn't mean that I always have to play the good girl. You must be the one who understands that the best. Why are you suddenly like this?" she reacted furiously as he continued to look at her with skepticism.

"Come on, let's just have some fun," her voice softened again as she tried to kiss him, but he suddenly lost his desire. He just wanted to get away from here. Out of this club and away from her. 

"Sorry, I can't," he said and took a step back.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"I... need some fresh air," he finally decided to retreat by turning on his heel. Lydia grabbed his arm, but he shook her off and ran towards the exit. He noticed her following him and calling his name, but he ignored her and left the club right through the main entrance.

Although he was already outside, she was still following him, so he finally stopped a few feet from the entrance and turned around. She was a really stubborn beast, you had to give her that.

"Tell me, have you gone crazy or what? Why are you suddenly running away?" she seemed to be really angry. He could understand her anger, but she had to calm down.

"I told you I just wanted some fresh air. I feel sick," Gavin explained his attempt to escape. He didn't really know what had suddenly got into him. He should have just turned off his head and fucked her. Then he could have had his fun and saved himself this embarrassing situation. Damn, he shouldn't have drunk so much, then at least he could still think clearly.

"Am I so scary that you have to run away from me?" she asked him a little calmer now.

"What? No," he replied nervously.

"Then why are you running away?" she did not let up. Apparently, she felt offended.

He did not answer but looked at her with glassy eyes.

"Don't you like women?" she tried again in a provocative way.

"What's with this stupid question?" he asked annoyed.

"You tell me," she said in a passionate tone as she approached him again to snuggle up to him.

Meanwhile, thoroughly annoyed by her manner, he pushed her away from him a little too rough.

Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

"So I did see right after all," she suddenly said after he rejected her again.

"What did you see?"

"The way you were staring at Elijah the whole time."

"How did you suddenly come upon him now? Have you gone completely crazy?" he asked angrily.

"You like him, don't you?" she teased.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I had to throw myself between you two before you could finally turn your eyes away from him," she didn't let up.

"He's fucking Elijah Fucking Kamski. So I'm not supposed to get curious and just ignore him instead? What makes you think that I could be into him like that? I was standing on the dance floor making out with you and not with him," Gavin reacted indignantly.

"Too late, Gavin, you've already betrayed yourself," she said with a gloating laugh.

Was this girl completely crazy now?

"I'd really like to know what Elijah thinks about this. I'll write to him right away so he can come out and you can sort this out among yourselves. Maybe you'll get lucky, and he likes you," she threatened him, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket and starting to tap it.

Gavin walked up to her without further ado and tried to rip the cell phone out of her hand. But she was faster and ran across the street to the river promenade across from the club.

"Now cut the crap. That's not funny," he said as he caught up with her and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Neither is teasing someone first and then just dumping them," she said, tearing herself away from him.

"Are you doing all this just because of your wounded ego? You're not quite sane anymore," he ran into her and rushed towards her to reach for her cell phone. In response, she backed off and took a step aside.

Before Gavin even realized what was happening, he suddenly felt his hip hit the railing. Shortly after, everything was spinning around him. Only a fraction of a second later, he was suddenly enveloped in an icy cold, so that he was literally shocked and lost his breath. He tried to breathe, but he couldn't because it wasn't air he sucked into his lungs, but water.

Shit, he had fallen into the damn river.

He tried to orientate himself in his panic, but he was enveloped by pitch-black darkness, so he didn't know where up and down was. Hectically, he flailed around and tried to fight his way out of the water. For a few seconds, he reached the water's surface, but he still could not breathe. A strong cough seized him, and he heard a loud scream before the cold made his limbs sluggish, and he sank back into the cold depths. Through the veil of darkness, he noticed someone jumping into the water beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small red light that seemed to be slowly approaching him, and shortly after that, he felt a hand put around his arm and pull him up to the surface with a jerk.

Gasping for breath, he felt the wind's cold breeze on his skin and again succumbed to a violent coughing attack. But this time, he didn't sink back into the depths, because someone was holding him tight. Powerless, he turned his head to the side and recognized the red light from the corner of his eye. The guy who had pulled him to the surface wrapped his arm around him and pulled him to a jetty on the shore. Gavin tried to move his limbs, but they were so stiff from the cold that he could only be dragged along inactively.

When he reached the shore, he crawled up the footbridge with his last ounce of strength before another strong coughing attack seized him. Exhausted, he rolled himself onto his side. He only casually noticed how someone bent over him while he coughed his soul out of his body.

"Nines?" was the only thing he produced when he recognized the android.

_Where the hell did he suddenly come from?_

Gavin heard his own teeth chattering while Nines grabbed him by the shoulders and raised him up. The android opened his mouth to say something before a loud cry interrupted him.

"Shit, what happened?" Gavin heard the voice of Christian, who was just coming down the stairs of the dock.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Lydia replied as she followed him.

"What did you do?" Elijah's skeptical voice sounded as he joined them, along with several other onlookers who had gathered at the top of the railing.

"Nothing, I was just teasing him because I was angry with him. I did not want this to happen. It was an accident. Gav, I really didn't mean it, I'm sorry," she turned to Gavin in panic. Apparently, she was really in shock.

Gavin tried to answer something, but the muscular trembling that had gripped his body kept him from doing so. He felt Nines put his arm around him and pull him to his chest to give him some warmth.

"Did you call an ambulance?" another voice asked, which Gavin didn't know.

"I've already called 911," Nines replied, "He's cooling off too much. Do you have something like a blanket?"

"I don't want a blanket, and I don't want an emergency doctor. I'm fine," Gavin finally found his spirits again and pushed the android away rudely. He was still trembling all over his body so that he could only pull himself up with difficulty.

"Gavin, you are very pale, you should ..." Christian stood in his way.

"Nines, just take me home," Gavin interrupted him as he pushed himself past Christian with a scowl and entered the stairs. He could feel the looks of everyone present as he wrapped his arms around him and took a few steps up the stairs before his legs suddenly gave way under him.

Fuck.

He noticed the android coming towards him and could only save him by a hair's breadth from falling.

"Your circulation isn't stable enough yet," Nines explained while helping Gavin stay on his feet.

"Just take me home, please," Gavin asked in a thin voice, leaning trembling against the android. He could already see the approaching ambulance's blue light in the distance, and a slight panic seized him.

He hoped fervently that his parents had already left because he would be in trouble if they should notice that.

"You'll feel better in a minute," he heard Nines' muffled voice as he still leaned against his chest and watched the ambulance stop on the shore. At the sight of the paramedics running down the stairs a short time later, he slowly wondered what he had done so damn wrong to deserve such shitty treatment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, there was a typo in the title :/


	5. Concern

Tense, Nines listened to the young boy's breath, who lay sleeping on his bed at the other end of the room. To Nines' annoyance, Gavin had vehemently refused to spend the night in the hospital after his fall in the river and had insisted on returning home. A very unreasonable decision, considering the aftermath of such an accident, especially since he had also impatiently abandoned the necessary examinations after only a few minutes.

When they had finally returned to the property, Gavin's parents had already left. The two servants, Bruce and Margaret, who had not traveled with them, spent the nights outside of the property, so that there was no one else in the property at that time.

"Don't stare at me like that, you creep," he suddenly heard Gavin's voice as the boy turned around in the bed and looked in his direction.

"Since you have unreasonably refused to spend the night in the hospital, I have to keep an eye on you."

"Can't you do it in another way? Do you have to stare at me like a ghost from the corner all the time? I can't sleep like that," murmured Gavin softly, interrupted by a suppressed cough.

"The only alternative would be to directly monitor your vital functions," Nines replied. "Then why don't you do that?" Gavin asked as he sat up and looked at the android with tired eyes.

"Because it would require direct physical contact," Nines dryly said.

"Okay, forget it. Just keep staring at me," Gavin suddenly said, before lying down again and demonstratively turning away from the android.

Nines blinked in confusion but decided not to say anything.

The calm didn't last too long when Gavin stood up again only seconds later and suddenly jumped out of bed. Nines watched him heading for the door before addressing him.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom. I have to pee," Gavin replied dryly before stopping and turning abruptly in Nines' direction.

"Don't get the idea of following me. I'm warning you," he threatened with a sinister expression.

"I didn't intend to ...", Nines wanted to contradict him, but by then, Gavin had already stepped out the door.

Nines heard his footsteps in the hallway, coupled with a quiet cough before another door slammed shut, and it became quiet. He exhorted himself to be patient as some minutes passed by before he began to wonder where the boy was. Eventually, his patience came to an end as he stepped out into the hallway and looked around attentively. Apparently, not attentive enough, because he flinched in surprise when he suddenly heard Gavin's voice next to his ear.

"I told you to stay, Creep."

"It's my job to look after you, and it's taken you an unusually long time to..."

"Do you want to stand next to me with your stopwatch when I'm taking a piss, or what?" Gavin interrupted him as he grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him roughly to the side.

"No, but since you almost drowned yourself in the river in the first few hours, I have to keep a special eye on you. I'm not doing this to annoy you, Gavin, but because your behavior makes it necessary," Nines lost a bit of his patience.

"I didn't ask you to constantly worry about me. Nor did I ask you to follow me secretly to the club. Stop sticking to my ass like a leech."

"It's my job, that's what I was programmed for," Nines countered.

"Then I'll release you from this task," Gavin irritably said, after which he began to cough again.

"I can't do that."

"Why not? You are my possession. I can demand whatever I want from you," Gavin contradicted in a thin voice as he leaned against the wall.

"That would make my presence absurd," Nines argued before pausing and looking at Gavin skeptically.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he saw Gavin look into the void with a glazed look.

"Yes, I'm... just tired," he replied quietly.

But the sudden calm in Gavin's voice made Nines doubt it. He raised his hand and touched the boy's forehead. The boy suddenly flinched and pushed the android's hand away.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.

"You're running a fever," Nines replied calmly, but Gavin ignored him and entered his room before lying down in bed and turning his back on Nines.

Quietly, Nines closed the door behind him as he also entered the room and observed Gavin. He could see how the boy had wrapped his arms around himself and started to tremble slightly. Carefully, Nines approached the bed and grabbed the blanket beside Gavin to cover him with it. He didn't seem to notice it anymore. Nines sat down on the bed's edge with a sigh to take the boy's hand and analyze his vital signs. His body temperature was 39 degrees. Apparently, the cold water had affected him so much that he was also getting a cold. If everything escalated to such an extent after only a few hours, Nines didn't even want to know what would happen in the next few weeks. To be on the safe side, he decided to sit on the bed and even move a little closer to Gavin to continue holding his hand, despite the boy's request not to touch him. He could not risk the fever rising further and not noticing it. In return, he also took the risk that the boy would yell at him again as soon as he woke up.

A loud knocking tore Gavin from his sleep, whereupon he turned around in bed with a soft murmur and looked towards the door.

Casually, he did notice the android standing next to his bed, looking indecisively over at the door.

Why was this creep standing so close to him?

Gavin didn't get the chance to think about it for long when he realized with horror that Nines was about to walk towards the door. Hurriedly, Gavin jumped out of bed before a sharp pain shot through his head as he finally caught up with the android.

"Fuck, that's Margaret," Gavin growled softly and held his forehead with a strained look. Damn, he felt like his head was about to burst.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nines reach out for the door after Margaret knocked on it again, but Gavin stopped him by grabbing Nines' wrist.

"I'll do that, you don't know her yet," he explained quietly as he put his other hand on the doorknob.

"Oh God, Gavin, what happened to you?" he was instantly greeted by Margaret as he opened the door and looked at her with a chalky white face.

Apparently, she had come up to check on him when he hadn't shown up downstairs. Shit, what time was it anyway?

He wanted to open his mouth to say something, but a severe scratching in his throat stopped him, and he turned away from her with a cough.

"He fell into the Detroit River yesterday during an argument and caught a cold," Nines summed up in just a few dry words as he stepped to the door and gave the sprightly housekeeper a shamefaced look.

Shit, why did he blab it out so quickly? It hadn't been planned that way.

Gavin flailed around wildly and tried to stop the android from talking any further, but the android just ignored him.

"Hello, I'm Nines, I..." he kept on talking.

"My goodness, you're supposed to watch over him, not to kill him," he was interrupted by Margaret as she pushed him aside and walked towards Gavin.

"What have you done, boy? Did you really fall in the river?" she asked in a mixture of anger and worry.

"He's exaggerating. It sounds worse than it is. Really," Gavin tried to calm things down in a scratchy voice before being interrupted by a violent sneeze. Damn, what was going on all of a sudden?

"I can see that," Margaret stared at him skeptically as she approached him and put her hand on his forehead. But unlike Nines' touch, he didn't push her hand away and allowed her to care for him.

"You have a fever," she noted with a slight annoyance in her voice.

"I'm all right, just a slight cold. I only stumbled a little and slipped briefly into the water on the flat bank. I'm fine, honestly," lied Gavin and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. To be honest, he wasn't feeling well at all.

"Oh, boy, when will you finally grow up?" she seemed to swallow his version of the story. Or at least pretended to do so.

"Take a rest for a while. I'll cook you some warm, strong chicken broth, and then you'll tell me exactly what happened, okay?" she finally gave in with a sigh and pushed Gavin back to the bed.

"And what the hell are you wearing? Are these Gavin's clothes? They're much too small for you," she turned her focus back to Nines, who looked really strange in his too short sweatpants and the much too tight sweater. Last night, Gavin hadn't noticed this so much.

"My other clothes got wet when I pulled him out of the water, and I don't have any change of clothes yet," he explained as he looked down at himself.

"I don't know what's the matter, flood pants and no belly sweaters are a trend now," Gavin couldn't help but gloat at the sight, despite his condition. His laughter, however, was immediately punished with another cough.

"Stop joking around, this isn't funny. Boy, your mother got you an android so you wouldn't do so much nonsense and not so we'd have another problem child in the house."

"Sorry, I'll get some clothes in my size later," Nines tried to placate her.

"With these clothes you won't leave the house for sure. We will have some delivered by courier," she contradicted him. "You will stay here taking care of Gavin and making sure the boy stays in bed and doesn't do anything stupid. Do you understand me?" she added.

"Hey, I'm not five anymore," Gavin complained loudly.

"But you act like you are. Because of you, I can't get my work done today," she countered.

"I can help you," Nines offered himself, but she only gave him a nasty look.

"You better take care of the task you're here for. Then I can take care of mine," she admonished him.

"And you, young boy, do what he tells you, is that clear?" she turned to Gavin again before she turned away and stormed out the door.

Nines gave her an irritated look and turned to Gavin with a frown as the boy giggled softly.

"She's cool, isn't she?"

"She seemed rather angry and upset," Nines reacted, somewhat confused.

"Come on, she's always like that. That's her way," Gavin smirked.

"In a very ... special kind of way," Nines said.

"I prefer it to the sneaky behavior of my mum. At least, Margaret says what she thinks and means well in the end," explained Gavin as he got up and looked for his cell phone.

"You should lie down," Nines admonished him.

"And you shouldn't have blabbed immediately about what happened," Gavin countered, but Nines still gave him a warning look.

"What? Am I not even allowed to move in my room anymore?" Gavin asked irritatedly.

"As long as you don't approach any open water or fall out of the window," Nines said cynically.

"Very funny indeed, tin can," Gavin growled, while he could not hide a slight smile.

"Shit," he cursed when he finally found his cell phone and looked at the display.

"What is it?" Nines asked curiously.

Gavin didn't answer him because he was too focused on the smartphone in his hand, on which he had received many messages. Quite a few of them were from Lydia. She asked about Gavin's condition several times and apologized to him much more often. The others had also written to him. Even Elijah, who he hadn't really expected to be serious about his friend request, had sent him a message via Facebook asking how he was doing.

To be honest, Gavin was not used to his friends being so worried about him. But the joy didn't last long when he saw that his mother had tried to reach him several times this morning. Shit, he had to call back.

With a scowl on his face, he closed the messages, dialing his mother's number and putting the cell phone to his ear while he fervently hoped she hadn't heard anything about last night.


	6. What the hell?

"You were supposed to stay lying down," Nines said in a slightly impatient tone after watching Gavin for quite a while now as he scurried through the room like a little weasel, apparently looking for something.

"And I told you to shut up," Gavin countered in a rough voice as he rushed over to the other end of the room again.

"If you keep jumping around like that, your cold will turn into pneumonia," Nines warned him.

"And if you keep babbling around like that, I'm going to deactivate you," Gavin threatened, giving Nines an angry look.

"For your own safety, I wouldn't recommend you to..."

"Ah, there it is," Gavin simply interrupted him before he bent down behind his desk and picked something up from the floor. Nines frowned and watched Gavin open his purse and look inside before suddenly running over to the closet and grabbing a few things.

"Where are you going?" Nines was about to ask when he suddenly realized that Gavin started to undress in front of him. Immediately he turned his eyes away from him, which the boy seemed to notice.

"Well, I'm not that ugly," he teased.

"That's not the point. My courtesy module dictates that I turn away in such a case," said Nines, turning his head only slightly in Gavin's direction.

"You're just a machine," Gavin objected as he put his clothes on.

"With a human exterior, so some people wouldn't feel comfortable if I didn't turn away in such a case."

"I'm sure there are some who would find it appealing."

"Do you want me to...?" Nines asked in surprise.

"No, you creep, I wasn't talking about me," Gavin interrupted him.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you even considering this? I didn't know you were programmed for such filth as well."

"It's not my primary function, but my society module also offers the option to serve such wishes. Everything my owner feels comfortable with," Nines explained unflinchingly.

"Good to know," Gavin said, to which the android gave him an irritated look.

"It was just a joke, tin can. Relax," Gavin explained as he suppressed a cough and started walking around the room again.

"Where are you going anyway?" Nines changed the subject again.

"Get some fresh air," Gavin said, hopping around on one leg as he casually put on his socks.

"I'll come with you," Nines offered himself.

"No need, I'll be fine," Gavin declined the android's help.

He paused in bewilderment when Nines suddenly approached him and put his hand on his forehead without any warning.

"You still have a fever," Nines said dryly.

"So what? It is not the first time I'm having a cold. I had plenty of them, and I'm still alive," growled Gavin and pushed the android's hand away.

"Doesn't your courtesy program tells you to turn away when someone might feel uncomfortable in your presence? You're quite a groper," he murmured as he passed the android.

"There is a bracelet that you could wear so I could read your vital signs without touching you if that bothers you that much," Nines explained.

"Now you are transforming into a walking advertisement. Very clever of Elijah," Gavin replied.

"I just wanted to explain an alternative," Nines said, slightly offended.

The boy looked at him suspiciously.

"You can turn off these recommendations if you want to," Nines relented.

Gavin just nodded.

"Don't count on me before the evening and don't get the idea of following me again," he said as he headed for the door.

"You said you just wanted to get some fresh air," Nines noted suspiciously.

"I didn't say how long," Gavin countered.

Nines still wanted to follow him and took a step forward.

"I told you to stay here. Sit tight and wait here," Gavin stopped the android.

"Gavin, I really don't think it's a good idea to leave you alone in that condition...," Nines tried to contradict him again. Still, he paused as the boy came towards him and put his index finger on his mouth.

"Just keep your mouth shut and wait here, okay?" Gavin hissed, while Nines recoiled in irritation.

"Now you see how that feels," he smirked as he saw how the android reacted to his touch. Nines didn't say anything but silently watched the boy retreating and leaving the room with a wide grin. He resisted the urge to follow Gavin. He had received a clear order which he had to follow, for better or worse. He only hoped that the boy would not get into trouble again.

Bored, Gavin stared at the pile of bills that lay on the table in front of him.

He raised his head with a soft sigh and looked through the office door into the workshop's store. If he had known that nothing would be going on today, he would have preferred to stay in bed. He touched his forehead as he felt the painkillers wearing off and the severe headaches he had already felt this morning returning.

Shit, he would have thought a few aspirins would be enough to be fit enough to work today. He hadn't wanted to lie around in bed all day without doing anything. He still had to get the money for his Kawasaki if his parents didn't want to buy it for him. As long as his parents weren't around, he finally had the opportunity to push a few more shifts without notice.

From the storeroom, the silent curses of his colleague Denise echoed over. She seemed no less unhappy with her current tasks. Her curses came closer as she stepped out of the storeroom and came to his office before she dropped on the chair next to him and watched him suspiciously from the side.

"You look like a walking corpse, Gav. Go home, not much more will happen here today," she said, wiping her dirty hands on her overalls.

"I just want to finish this," he grumbled as he turned away from her and sneezed heavily.

"It's not urgent. You can finish it another time. As your supervisor, I have a certain duty of care about you, and I don't want you to..."

"Just because you have a permanent position doesn't mean that you are automatically my superior," he interrupted her.

"Oh, Gav, I'm just kidding. But seriously, go home," she reassured him and reached for the accounting documents on the table in front of him.

"Let me take care of this, okay? You need rest," she said now more gently.

Gavin inspected her thoughtfully from the side for a brief moment before he finally nodded in agreement. He felt really shitty now.

"Just do me a favor before you go," she began as he got up from her chair.

He gave her a questioning look.

"Please take these with you. You'll pass the post office on your way," she explained while she handed him a stack of letters.

"Can you manage that?" she asked concerned as he only silently took the letters.

"Yeah, I only have a cold, I'm not going to die," he countered and grabbed his jacket hanging on the chair.

"But you look like you are."

"Thanks, you look adorable today, too," he grumbled, and she giggled softly.

"Write me when you're fit again," she said, before turning away and heading back to the storeroom. Gavin looked after her for a moment as he put on his jacket and finally turned toward the exit. Denise was quite all right, sometimes a bit direct in her manner, but quite cool. She had been the one who got him this little job after he had met her and her girlfriend at a car show. But now he had to get rid of this cold as soon as possible. After that, it might be possible with some extra shifts to get his Kawasaki together this fall.

Still in thought, he left the store and was just crossing the large parking lot in front of the garage when he suddenly heard a loud shout.

He looked over to the other end of the parking lot where the yelling had come from and recognized a young blond man standing next to a sports car waving to him. For some reason, the blond man looked familiar to him, although he couldn't really say how he knew him, let alone who exactly he was. Gavin let his eyes wander to make sure that the waving was really addressed to him and no one else. He was the only one in the parking lot. He turned and walked towards him as the man was already approaching him.

"Hey Gav, didn't expect to see you here. How are you?" the young man called him by name.

Gavin stopped and took a closer look at the blond man. "Fine, I guess," he replied uncertainly.

"Hey, sorry again about that thing last weekend. I really didn't expect that shit to escalate like that," the blond guy just kept on talking.

Gavin had no idea what he meant.

The guy stopped just a few steps away from him and looked at him expectingly.

"Um, sorry, I... don't know what you mean," Gavin finally admitted that he just couldn't place the young man.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me, Gav. Shit, it must have hit you harder than it looked," the blond man admitted in shock as he checked the patch on Gavin's nose.

So the guy was someone who was there the night Gavin fought with those guys at the harbor. The circumstances that led up to it had still not returned to his memory.

"You're kidding me, right? You really don't remember anything?" Gavin's counterpart asked incredulously.

Gavin shook his head.

"Shit, it's me, Tony. Damn, if I'd known this was going to end like this, I would have preferred to keep my hands off you ... but I also have to admit, it was worth it somehow," the blonde continued as he inspected Gavin with a suggestive look.

"I'm sorry, I can't remember the evening at all," Gavin said, confused.

"It's a shame. It was such a great evening," Tony said as he took another step towards Gavin, who struggled to resist the urge to back off.

"But I give you credit for being so damn talented with your tongue. Mark can cut himself a slice," the guy named Tony kept babbling as his voice took on an almost lascivious pitch.

He gave him credit for what?

Gavin was still silent and even didn't dare to move.

"Anyway, I'm sorry. I should have told you I was already taken. I didn't know Mark was spying on me and didn't expect him punching you in the face," Tony apologized.

"If there's anything I can do for you as compensation, then ...," he said, looking down at Gavin and running his tongue across his lips.

"I think it's better if you go now," Gavin interrupted him abruptly.

"Hey man, I'm really sorry about how this went down," Tony began again.

"If you're really sorry, then please go now ... do me that favor ... please," Gavin insisted as he turned away from Tony and walked straight across the parking lot. He could hear Tony shouting after him, but he didn't understand the meaning of his words. In his panic, Gavin avoided looking in his direction again. Diverted, he walked between the cars and tried desperately to understand what the hell had happened that specific night, in which he had been knocked out.


	7. A small step forward

Thoughtfully, Nines scrutinized his reflection in the mirror while repeatedly turning around and tugged uncertainly at his clothes.

"Are you sure that such clothing is appropriate?" he asked skeptically.

"It's for Gavin. He doesn't like formal shirts or suits. Believe me, jeans and a simple t-shirt are the best choices," Margaret encouraged him as she stood next to him.

"It seems a bit... informal," he still didn't seem entirely convinced.

"If you don't want to settle for that: I've ordered a few more shirts," she said and casually reached for a black shirt that lay in a pile.

"Pull this one over," she handed him the shirt.

Nines pulled the formal black shirt over the white t-shirt he was still wearing. He was about to button it up when she stopped him.

"No, leave it open and just let it hang loosely," she said as she took a step back and patterned him with a nod.

"Doesn't that seem a bit messy?" he asked insecurely.

"Gavin likes it that way. Probably the only way to wear a shirt that he accepts," she said to him.

"That's ... " Nines wanted to contradict.

"If you want to be accepted by the boy, you have to adapt to him," she suppressed another objection. "Because if he doesn't accept you, you can't take care of him. You didn't even manage to stop him from leaving the house in his present condition. Since this is your first day, I'll let you get away with this and hope that the boy returns safely afterward. But this must go better in the future. As much as I would like to do this, I cannot take care of this house and the boy simultaneously."

"I can help you if you want me to..."

"You take care of your business, and I'll take care of mine. If you do yours well, I won't have to worry about the boy," she interrupted him again.

"At least now you don't look like an overgrown toddler anymore," she said while she put her hands on her hips and inspected him again.

"Now, I hope for your sake that the boy will show up here again soon ... and that without any more scratches or incidents," she murmured before she simply turned away and left the room.

"Thank you," Nines wanted to say, but she didn't hear it anymore. Somewhat lost, he was looking in the mirror once more before he ran his hand through his dark hair and turned away with a sigh.

No sooner had he collected the things lying around him, he heard someone coming up the stairs and ripping open the door to Gavin's room.

"Hello Gav- " he wanted to greet the boy, but the boy just rushed past him and threw himself directly onto the bed with a loud cough.

"Thanks, have a nice evening too," Nines commented, slightly frustrated. Gavin still ignored him.

"Are you not feeling well?" Nines asked, not wanting to give up too quickly and stepped cautiously towards the bed.

"Gavin?" he asked again, slightly worried and bent over the bed to face the boy, who had turned his back to him.

The boy had his eyes closed and was breathing heavily. 

Nines raised his hand and touched Gavin's shoulder. 

The boy had a slightly elevated temperature and obvious cold symptoms, but nothing serious.

Nines sat down next to him on the bed and carefully pulled the shoes off his feet before he grabbed the blanket and put it over his shoulders.

He spent all evening and a half the night checking the boy's condition at hourly intervals because Gavin had not even stirred since he stormed into his room. Nines bridged the gap by placing himself in temporary stasis, seating himself on the chair in front of Gavin's desk. But when he did this for the third time, he suddenly heard a soft noise that activated him again. His gaze automatically wandered over to Gavin, who was rolling restlessly around in his bed. At least the boy was stirring again. Nines silently watched Gavin, as the boy sat up looking slightly confused, seemingly unable to immediately understand where he was. He made a faint sniff as he slipped to the edge of the bed and climbed out. Slowly he shuffled to the door before opening it and stepping out. Slightly tense, Nines waited for the boy to return before getting up and heading for the door. Just at that moment, the door opened again, and Gavin suddenly stood right in front of him. The boy watched him with a sleepy face and a faint sniff. Nines was already expecting an annoyed remark, but against all expectations, Gavin just walked around him in silence and threw himself back on the bed.

However, he did not go to sleep but leaned his back against the wall and took his cell phone in his hand.

Nines had to admit that he had not known the boy long enough to really classify his moods, but something odd about Gavin's behavior told him that something was wrong. He was suddenly so quiet, and Nines doubted that it was just the cold. Sure, he could have just asked him, but he knew he wouldn't get really far with that. With some distance, he sat down on the bed next to Gavin. The boy briefly raised his gaze before he looked back on his cell phone.

"You don't have to stay with me all the time. You can move freely around the house," Gavin said in a resigned rather than a dismissive manner.

"Since you didn't speak a word earlier and slept through until now, I thought I should keep an eye on you. However, your vital signs seem to be fine, so I'll leave you alone if you wish," Nines calmly said.

Actually, he should have left immediately, but his programming advised him to make sure that the boy really wanted to be alone.

Gavin didn't answer but pulled his legs up to his body as he put the phone aside. He wrapped his arms around his knees and stared into the void.

"Did your mom call back after the conversation this morning?" Nines asked and tried to figure out what was bothering the boy, but Gavin just shook his head.

"She doesn't suspect a thing," he said after a while.

"Did your friends write anything again about last night?" Nines asked further.

"No, at least nothing bad. They just asked how I was doing. Lydia, the girl I had the fight with, apologized several times."

"Why did you quarrel at all?" Nines carefully asked.

"She was pissed off because I turned her down and then she claimed that I liked men," Gavin replied quietly.

"And that would be so bad?" Nines asked.

"She claimed that I was into Elijah and wanted to write him a message about that."

"He's your age, enjoys good health, and as far as I know from various databases, he's not currently taken. What would be so bad about being attracted to him?" Nines said naively.

"But I don't like him in that way, I just found him likable, simply as a friend. Besides, he is a man," Gavin explained somewhat irritated.

"Is his gender so relevant in this?"

"For my father, it would be," mumbled Gavin quietly.

Nines hadn't counted on this argument. "Why is your father, of all people, the reason why ...?"

"Can we please change the subject, Nines?" Gavin suddenly interrupted him as he climbed down from the bed, demonstratively turning his back on the android.

Nines looked after him with a questioning look and watched him walking towards the TV and turning it on. Cross-legged, the boy sat down on the floor in front of it while activating one of the game consoles and picking up the corresponding controller. Frowning, Nines looked at his inner clock to see that it was already around 2 o'clock. He was about to open his mouth to point it out to Gavin when the boy suddenly turned in his direction.

"Would you like to play with me?" Gavin asked with a second controller in his hand.

"Loaded me a new game that can only be played in a co-op. Started it with a buddy once, but he quickly lost interest. He prefers to play shooter games," he explained as he saw Nine's questioning gaze.

Nines denied himself the unnecessary hint of the current time and got up from the bed to go over to him. Silently, he accepted the controller and sat down on the floor next to Gavin. It was obvious that the boy wanted to distract himself a bit, so Nines wouldn't talk him out of it as long as he took it easy enough.

"What is the game about?" he asked.

"We are two prisoners who must work together to break out of prison. Not really complicated, you just have to cooperate," Gavin explained the principle of the game.

There were exactly two characters to choose from. One was calm and level-headed; the other was spirited and aggressive. Of course, Gavin chose the one that suited him best, while Nines took the calmer part's role. Together, they even managed to escape from prison undetected in the first part of the game, until they reached a point where they had to use torture to extract some information from a former criminal colleague to find his boss. Nines had some difficulty with this scene.

"Hey, you were supposed to scare him and not pet him," Gavin complained loudly when Nines again failed to extract the necessary information from the prisoner.

"It's against my programming to harm a human being for such base reasons," Nines explained his failure.

"It's just a game. Besides, it's enough if you just bluff. You don't have to really hurt him. It's enough if you scare him. We just want him to tell us where his boss is so we can grab him and prove our innocence."

"But are we so innocent if we harm others in trying to prove it?"

"Hand me your controller," Gavin sighed, slightly annoyed.

Nines silently complied with his request and watched the boy manage to extract the desired information from the prisoners within two minutes. He didn't know whether he should be impressed or rather irritated.

"Here," Gavin pressed the controller back into his hand before he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"It's already 4 o'clock. Don't you want to get some more sleep?" Nines asked carefully.

"Just the level, then we'll finish," Gavin grumbled softly.

Nines knew that it wouldn't do any good to contradict him, so he turned back to the game. There followed another smaller section, which was finally followed by a longer story sequence that Nines followed with interest before he suddenly noticed Gavin touching his shoulder. Surprised, he turned to the boy and realized that the boy had obviously fallen asleep sitting down, leaning against his shoulder with his eyes closed.

As if paralyzed, the android remained sitting for a while, feeling the boy's warmth and every breath he took. He was not daring to lift a finger. He pondered for a moment whether he should just sit like this half the night until Gavin awoke on his own, but he didn't believe that this was necessarily an optimal sleeping position for a human. Should he just wake him up?

Carefully he put the controller aside and turned his head towards the boy.

"Gavin?" he tried first by addressing him, but he did not respond.

"Gav?" he asked again and touched him lightly on the shoulder.

Again, no reaction.

Finally, he took heart and put his arm around the boy to shake him a little harder. Gavin shrugged slightly and opened his eyes before he detached himself from Nines and looked at him irritated.

"Sorry," the boy murmured as he tried to pick himself up.

"Careful," Nines admonished him and grabbed his arm, as he stumbled slightly.

Gavin muttered something incomprehensible as he released his arm from Nine's grip and staggered muttering to his bed. Nines watched him as the boy threw himself onto the bed and still mumbled and wrapped himself in his blanket.

Nines finally got up with a soft sigh and turned off the console and the TV before he quietly left the room.


	8. Happy Birthday

With slow steps, Gavin descended the stairs before he light-footed crossed the lobby of the estate and shortly after stepped into the kitchen with a surprised look. For the last two days, he had been unable to do anything but toss and turn in his bed under a high fever, feeling sorry for himself. Today was the first day he finally felt well enough to leave the bed after his loud growling stomach woke him up.

His feet, dressed only in socks, shuffled across the kitchen floor as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. He casually glanced at the clock and wondered why he had not seen Margaret or Nines today. It was already 8 o'clock, and he should have found Margaret in the kitchen at that time. Nines had spent the last days and hours almost constantly in his vicinity. Where was he suddenly?

Again, Gavin felt the intense growl of his stomach. He shrugged his shoulders and took a piece of sausage and butter from the refrigerator before closing it and sitting down at the kitchen table. He was about to turn around to look for the bread and a knife when he suddenly saw Margaret standing in the doorway with a cake in her hand, giving him a warm smile.

Behind her were Bruce and Nines, about to join Margaret in a birthday serenade, when Gavin stopped them abruptly.

"Stop, stop, stop. Don't you dare to sing," Gavin growled loudly, and Margaret and Bruce laughed amused while Nines looked around in irritation.

Margaret walked up to Gavin and placed the cake on the table before wrapping her arms around the boy and pulling him towards her.

"Happy Birthday, my boy," she said and squeezed him tight. He returned her hug no less heartily before Margaret let go of him and let Bruce take her place.

"Happy birthday, you little slob," he said, waving his hand through Gavin's hair before he took a step back and looked at him with a smile.

Gavin straightened his hair with a laugh as he looked over at Nines, who was just standing in the doorway staring at him.

"Hey, Nines, are you stuck on there or what?" Margaret addressed the android, after which he finally got moving and approached Gavin.

Still with a smile on his face, Gavin looked up at him and expected only a few kind words from the android, but then he held his breath in surprise when Nines suddenly put his arm around him and gave him a warm hug.

"Happy birthday, Gav," he said before releasing the hug.

Gavin gave him an incredulous look. He felt a sudden heat on his face and wondered if the fever had returned as he averted his gaze and quietly thanked Nines.

"Well, what disaster have you planned for this year, Gav?" Bruce's voice distracted him from the android.

"Just a little party this weekend. Just a few friends and only in the back by the garden house," Gavin replied with a smile.

"Well, at least you'll only burn down the garden house and not the entire estate. You're thinking along," Bruce teased him.

"You know me too well," Gavin stepped into it.

"Now stop making such jokes, you're just conjuring it up," Margaret admonished the two.

"Let's cut the cake first and eat a piece," she said decisively, whereupon Gavin and Bruce sat down at the table with a grin.

"Nines, sit down, you're making me nervous standing there," she addressed the android as he stood around somewhat perplexed.

"But I can't eat and I ..." he wanted to contradict.

"Now sit down at last, tin can," Gavin interrupted him and knocked invitingly on the chair next to him, after which Nines accepted his invitation and sat down next to him hesitantly.

Gavin gave him a cheerful smile before he happily accepted the piece of cake that Margaret placed in front of his nose. So he didn't notice Nines eyeing him from the side and like a slight smile appeared on the android's lips.

The next two days passed without further incidents, while the boy slept until noon in the morning and worked in the workshop in the afternoon. Nines knew that Gavin's parents would not have liked this, but as long as the boy returned in time for dinner, neither Nines nor Margaret voiced any objections. They both knew that it was easier to deal with the boy as long as he was given some freedom.

The weekend was slowly approaching when Gavin wanted to celebrate his birthday, and Nines had spent the evenings cleaning the summer house with the boy and getting it ready for the party. He was a bit upset when he realized that Gavin had invited almost the same people who had been with him at the club at the harbor, but he kept his concerns to himself for the time being. He decided to stay close to Gavin all evening to prevent anyone from harming him in any way.

Unfortunately, a plan that did not work out quite as he had planned.

Leaning his back against the wall, Nines stood at the edge of the small party and quietly watched the people present. He looked over at Gavin, who was having a lively conversation with a young man who had arrived here uninvited, along with Lydia Hoffmann and the entrepreneur's son Christian Pierce. Gavin had been slightly irritated by the uninvited guest, and Nines had already expected some potential for conflict, but the two boys seemed to get along. Although Nines was still a bit uneasy about the situation, especially since Lydia, of all people, had brought the uninvited young man here. Although she had apologized to Gavin several times and thanked him for letting her come to the party, Nines would still keep an eye on the boy.

He managed this without any problems, until the moment when Gavin suddenly sent him over to the house to get a refill of snacks. He was reluctant to do so, but he had to follow Gavin's instructions.

When he finally returned shortly afterward, Gavin was nowhere to be seen, as he had feared. Damn, he should have known better.

With a slight restlessness in his stomach, he walked around the garden house several times, before completely crossing the garden. He was walking towards the pavilion where he first met Bruce when he finally recognized the boy's silhouette. The boy was sitting on a bench in the pavilion with the uninvited visitor. Nines just opened his mouth to shout something to them before suddenly stopping himself when he saw the man sitting across from Gavin bending over to the boy and ... kissing him? A little irritated, Nines stopped and stared with open mouth in the direction of the two boys before suddenly a noise distracted him from them. Even before he understood what was going on, he saw Christian Pierce and Lydia jump out of one of the bushes and shout something to the two in the pavilion before they ran laughing past Nines back to the garden house.

He turned back over to Gavin and recognized how he suddenly seemed to be arguing loudly with the young man who had just kissed him.

Alarmed, Nines ran towards the pavilion, climbed up to them, and tore them apart with an energetic jerk. He felt Gavin tried to defend himself against his grip to attack the other once again, but Nines held him down.

"Get the hell off me," Gavin demanded, before issuing a tirade of savage abuse to the other boy as well as the android. But in between all the abuse he uttered, Nines could slowly make out what had happened. The young man facing Gavin had apparently been set upon Gavin by Christian Pierce and Lydia Hoffmann to secretly take a picture of Gavin being kissed by a man.

Obviously, the discussion from the club was far from over, at least for this woman named Lydia. While Nines was still trying to grasp what had happened, Gavin suddenly broke away from him and ran straight over to the main house. Nines thought about following him, but then he decided to deal with the real problem first: The photo.

Without paying any further attention to the second young man, he turned around and ran over to the garden house. When he reached it, he saw Lydia and Christian standing in front of the garden house, talking excitedly to the other guests and apparently showing them the picture on their cell phone.

"You know what, I will upload the picture to Facebook. His old man is going to freak out," Nines just heard Christian talking, while walking straight up to him. Just before he reached the young man, his gaze met Elijah's, but fortunately, he decided not to warn Christian in any way. So Nines could approach him from behind and take his cell phone from him in one quick movement. Startled, Christian turned around before his face twisted into an angry grimace.

"Hey, what are you thinking? Give that back to me," he demanded the smartphone back. Nines didn't obey him and instead set about removing the photos in question without a trace while holding the boy at a distance with a firm grip.

"Mr. Pierce, I would be very grateful if you would respect my owner's privacy in the future," he expressed coolly before loosening his grip and returning the phone to Christian. He looked at the smartphone and stared at the android in disbelief when he realized that the android had deleted the photos.

"You piece of shit, you can't just ..." he stuttered in anger before he turned in Elijah's direction in a rage.

"How is it possible that this fucking thing touches me and my property?" he asked him in anger.

"If you so obviously violate the personal rights of its owner, its programming allows it to resort to such means. You just openly threatened its owner, what do you expect?" Elijah replied dryly.

"Still, he shouldn't be allowed to attack me. It's against the law of robotics," Christian almost shouted.

"Don't talk nonsense. He did not attack you. And which law exactly is he supposed to have violated? He didn't hurt you; he just kept you at a distance because it was you who wanted to attack him at that moment. He is allowed to defend himself in such a case. He has also taken measures to eliminate the threat as peacefully as possible. You were in the epitome of violating his owner's privacy, which gives him the right to delete the corresponding material. You were even stupid enough to announce it openly, thereby removing the last doubt from him that you are a threat to Gavin," Elijah explained, unimpressed.

"Fuck you, Elijah," Christian told him, but Elijah just ignored him and looked around instead.

"Where is Gavin anyway?" he asked.

"He ran over to the house," replied the young man who had been sitting with Gavin at the pavilion as he approached the group with an unhappy face. Apparently, a guilty conscience had got hold of him after all.

"You should go to him. I'll take care of Christian," Elijah addressed the android, who nodded gratefully and left the group to run over to the house. He hoped he would find Gavin quickly because he suddenly had a horrible feeling about this.


	9. Panic

Nines ripped open the back door of the kitchen before hurrying through it and reaching the lobby. Without further ado, he sprinted up the grand staircase and ran along the gallery to turn into the hallway where Gavin's room was located. He ripped open the door to Gavin's room only to find that the boy was not there. A mighty restlessness seized him before he encouraged himself to calm down and called out Gavin's name. He repeated his call, but again no answer.

Uncertain as to where to look next, he let his eyes wander briefly until suddenly a loud clatter came to his ear. It came from the direction of the bath and sounded as if glass was shattering.

He immediately turned to the bathroom and ran over to its door. He grabbed the door handle and noticed with annoyance that it was locked. At least now he knew where Gavin was, but the certainty only made him panic even more as he knocked on the door several times, asking the boy to at least give him a sign of life.

"Gavin, I deleted the photo. Everything is okay. Please open the door," he tried again, but the boy still owed him an answer.

"Shit," he heard himself curse before he took a few steps back and took a running jump to slam his shoulder against the door.

It gave way only slightly, and he paused for a fraction of a second to listen to see if Gavin reacted in any way, but it remained silent. A silence that only increased his panic. It took him two more attempts, one with his foot and another with his shoulder before the door finally gave way under the repeated weight of his attacks. He tore it open so violently that it bounced off the wall with a loud bang while he panicked to look for Gavin.

He saw the boy standing directly in front of the sink, staring blankly at his own face in the broken mirror. He was visibly shaking, and his right hand was covered in blood. Without thinking much, Nines walked right up to him and grabbed Gavin's bloody right hand. He could see several small cuts on it, which the boy had apparently made by hitting the mirror with his bare fist. He examined Gavin's hand from all sides before relief slowly passed through him as he realized that his wrist was uninjured. For a brief moment, he had really believed that the boy had done something to himself with the help of the shards. He raised his gaze and now looked directly into Gavin's pale face. As the boy saw the android, he finally seemed to register his own actions. He began to look around with eyes wide open and started to breathe frantically.

He tried to back away from the android, but Nines continued to hold him down.

"Nines, let me go, please," the boy begged in a thin voice as his breathing continued to accelerate.

"Gavin, you have to calm down," Nines spoke calmly to him and continued to hold him.

"Nines, please," the boy became even more panicky, whereupon Nines let go of his hand and watched Gavin look down on his bloody hand in disbelief.

"I-I-I-I..." Gavin began to stutter, " ...d-did not want this. I..."

"Gavin, it's okay. Nothing happened. We'll fix that, but you need to calm down," Nines said with a slight trembling in his voice. Surprised by his own agitation, he paused for a split second.

"My father... he's going to kill me, he... they're going to publish it... he's going to know about it, everybody's going to know about it and then... he... I-I- I should have been more careful, I...," Gavin stammered and panicked as he looked in Nines' direction with a helpless expression.

Entirely overwhelmed by the situation, Nines didn't know how to help himself and, without further ado, stretched out his arm to the boy before pulling him towards him with a gentle jerk. He could feel Gavin's fast heartbeat on his own chest as he wrapped his arms around the boy and gently pressed him to himself.

"It's okay; no one will know anything. I won't let them. The photo is deleted. There is no evidence," he calmly spoke to the boy, not knowing if he could really protect him from the others. But no matter how things turned out, he would not allow anyone to harm the boy. It was his job - no - it ... was his own desire ... to protect him. Irritated by his own thoughts, Nines held his artificial breath while he stroked the boy's back with his hand and buried his face in his hair. It had a pleasant vanilla scent. Without realizing it, he continued to talk to the boy and tried to calm him down. Obviously, his efforts were successful as Gavin's breathing finally became more stable, and his pulse decreased slowly but steadily. He noticed Gavin nestle more and more tightly against him as he calmed down.

Nines knew they needed to take urgent care of the injury on Gavin's hand, but he couldn't just push the boy away.

It was only when the boy broke away on his own after a while that Nines looked down on his hand again before he gently grabbed it.

"Are you all right now?" he asked, whereupon Gavin just nodded silently and stared absently at the floor.

"We have to take care of your hand," he said, gently pushing the boy toward the tub so that he could sit on its edge.

He turned away and looked around searching.

According to the plan of the house, there had to be a first-aid kit here somewhere. He exhaled with relief when he spotted the first-aid kit in the corner of the room and walked straight toward it. With the first aid kit in his hand, he returned to Gavin and crouched down in front of him. He grabbed the boy's hand and examined it for remaining shards of glass while the boy watched him in silence.

"I have to clean the wounds, it's going to hurt a bit," he said and took the disinfectant spray from the suitcase before applying it to Gavin's hand. He acknowledged this with a soft hiss. Nines felt the boy reflexively want to pull his hand away, but he didn't give him a chance. He almost expected Gavin to acknowledge this with a rant, but he remained silent. Even so, Nines was far more disturbed by this silence than Gavin's obvious injury.

"Shit, what happened here?" he suddenly heard Elijah's voice and turned towards the door. He saw him standing in the doorway with a surprised look.

"Do you need help?" Elijah asked as his gaze crossed with Nines before he stared at Gavin with a worried frown.

"No, we're fine, we'll be fine," Nines replied as he turned to Gavin's hand again.

"Gav, I talked to them. They won't say anything. Your RK deleted the photo, and I made it clear to them that..."

"Nines, the RK is called Nines," Gavin interrupted him, after which Elijah gave a soft sigh.

"Anyway, you don't need to worry, I took care of it," he now said in a somewhat distant tone.

"What did you say to them?" Nines asked, but Elijah was silent and just gave him a penetrating look so that the android turned away again.

For some reason, Elijah's statement worried him. He knew that he owed his existence to this man, but that didn't stop him from looking at him with a certain skepticism.

"I will leave you alone then. The others are already gone. Write to me if you feel like it," Elijah said in a more friendly tone, but Gavin, despite his helpful words, continued to stare into space and remain silent.

With a resigned sigh, Elijah finally turned away before speaking again:

"Don't let it get to you so much. With an inheritance like your father's, people will always put a spoke into your wheel. I will not be one of them, but I would advise you to get a thicker skin. Those who may have been your friends in the past are now slowly reaching an age where they become aware of their own heritage and, therefore, of their competition. They will take every opportunity to harm you and, thus, your father. Even if your brother eventually inherits the business, it will not be him they attack, but you. Because you are the weak point of this family. Don't get me wrong; I like you. You are one of the few who act as they really are, but that is what will quickly become your undoing in this world." He gave Gavin one last look before he nodded goodbye and walked away.

Nines could hear the boy exhaling when Elijah was out of range, but he chose not to comment on this. He concentrated primarily on bandaging Gavin's hand until he finally fixed the bandage and looked up at the boy.

Gavin looked at him with a glazed look before he turned away and lifted himself from the edge of the tub to leave the bathroom and walk over to his room.

Nines glanced briefly at the boy and wondered if he should clean up the mess before deciding against it and following Gavin. He could still clean up later when Gavin was asleep. He did not want to leave the boy alone for the time being, even though his initial suspicion that the boy tried to harm himself had not been confirmed. His embarrassed silence and the fact that he had struck his bare fist into the mirror already gave him enough reason to worry.

Still silent, the boy still entered his room and, with a resigned sigh, threw himself onto the bed before leaning his back against the wall and drawing his knees towards him.

"Am I really so obnoxious?" he asked as Nines entered the room and closed the door behind him. Surprised by Gavin's question, he looked over at him with a worried look. He didn't know what to answer. Until a few days ago, he probably would have answered yes to that question, but by now, he knew the boy well enough to understand that Gavin was just a damn unlucky guy who wanted nothing more than to be allowed only to be himself. With a shake of his head, he walked up to the boy and sat down next to him.

"Then why does everyone hate me so much? Why does everyone just want to get rid of me or get on my back? Then why does everyone tell me what a burden I am?" Gavin asked in a husky voice, burying his face between his knees.

Nines didn't know why the boy's mood suddenly affected him. Was it because he knew Gavin better now? That he knew that the boy was a thoroughly likable person who was simply misunderstood? Or was it because his programming made him believe so because the boy was feeling so bad? He suddenly felt utterly overwhelmed, and that didn't get any better when he heard a faint sobbing that gave him a feeling he had never felt before. Was it pity, simple compassion, or some other human emotion with what some program was trying to fool him? He did not know it, but he knew it was a terrible feeling. Gavin's sobbing grew stronger and was already shaking his entire body, and Nines just couldn't help but reach out and grab him and pull him towards him.

The boy buried his face on Nine's shoulder and sobbed even more.

Had he only made it worse?

Restlessly, Nines slipped around on the bottom of his pants before he remembered how he had calmed Gavin down in the bathroom earlier. He wrapped his arm around Gavin's shoulders and buried his face in the boy's hair as he spoke softly to him. That it wasn't his fault, and everything would be okay. He told the boy that he was a kind person who just had the misfortune of always getting into the wrong people; that Nines would not let anyone hurt him again.

The subtle scent of vanilla tickled his nose while the sobbing slowly subsided and eventually dried up completely. He could hear Gavin's breath slowing steadily until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion.

Nines continued to hold him in her arms and let himself fall slowly to the side, careful not to wake him before he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the boy's shoulders. He was aware that he should have gotten up and dealt with the chaos in the bathroom, but instead, he lay down on the sheet next to Gavin and just listened to his breath before closing his eyes and sliding down into stasis.


	10. The Day After

A loud knocking woke Nines up from his stasis, like a slap in the face, before he startled and turned his gaze irritatedly towards the door.

"Gavin, open the door," he recognized Margaret's voice. He looked over at Gavin and realized that he still seemed to be fast asleep.

Carefully he climbed over the boy from the bed and tiptoed over to the door.

As soon as he opened the door, Margaret greeted him with a tirade of reproaches and looked past him into the room.

"Where is Gavin? What have you done? The bathroom is a complete mess," she said after she let out another tirade.

Only now, Nines remembered the bathroom. Shit, he had actually wanted to clean up the chaos.

"He's still sleeping, he's fine. He ..." he somehow tried to explain the situation before she just pushed him away and entered the room.

"What do you look like anyway?" she hissed at Nines as she glanced at his mussed hair and wrinkled clothes.

By now, Gavin had woken up, too, and was rubbing his eyes tiredly as he sat up in bed. Even before he could realize what was happening around him, Margaret was already with him and took his hand.

"What is this? What have you done, boy?" she asked in a mixture of anger and worry.

Gavin looked at his own hand with a frown as if he didn't really know what had happened last night.

"I ... that's all right, I just cut myself," Gavin began to explain, but Margaret wouldn't let him finish.

"Damn it, what the hell are you here for?" she suddenly turned in Nines' direction.

"It's only gotten worse since you got here. First, the boy almost drowns himself, and now he has a cut, too. What comes next? Will I find the boy dead next time?" she railed at the android.

"It wasn't his fault," Gavin contradicted her.

"I don't care whose fault it was. He's here to take care of you. But every day since he has been here, I find you in a new catastrophic state," she countered desperately.

"But that's my fault, not his," he continued to defend the android.

"I just told you, I don't care whose fault this is. He's not fulfilling the task he's here for," she reacted almost hysterically.

Nines was about to open his mouth to explain himself when Gavin stood up and approached the housekeeper.

"Hey, it's really not bad, I'm fine," he spoke calmly to her, taking her hand and smiling at her.

"What have you done, boy? Why do I find a smashed mirror in the bathroom, with the blood of your hand on the shards?" she asked anxiously.

"I had a fight with one of my friends, I had drunk too much, and I could not control my anger. It's really not that bad. Just a few scratches. Nines took care of me," he tried to explain himself.

"It's not normal to just bang on a mirror, even when you're angry. What were you thinking?" she still didn't trust his explanation.

"Nothing. I did not think about it. I was drunk. I'm sorry. Don't worry, Margaret, please," he kept talking to her and put his arm around her.

"You can't always worry me like this, boy," she said reproachfully, but her voice sounded softer now.

"I am sorry. I will not frighten you like that again. I promise," Gavin said quietly, suddenly appearing as sensible and mature as Nines had never experienced before.

Margaret didn't reply, just stared at him with a skeptical look, but she seemed to have finally calmed down.

"Nines and I will clean up the bathroom, okay? And we'll make sure the mirror gets fixed. Just don't worry about it," Gavin made her an offer, while he took a step back with a charming smile on his lips and folded his palms in an apologetic gesture.

"First, you're going to eat something. It's almost noon," she yapped at him but seemed to accept his offer of peace finally.

"I will. I'll use my parents' bathroom and be downstairs in half an hour," he showed himself surprisingly cooperative.

It almost seemed to Nines as if he suddenly had a completely different person standing in front of him. Obviously, Gavin knew how to act when it mattered.

But why was he so rarely able to do so? Is he doing this on purpose?

Was his usual behavior some kind of rebellion against his parents and what they wanted to make of him? Or does it depend on the people surrounding him? He seemed to hold the housekeeper and her husband in high esteem. Apparently, more than he appreciated his own parents. And as Nines has observed so far, this was based on mutuality. It wasn't their job to worry about Gavin like that, and yet they did, even putting up with unpaid overtime. And Gavin seemed to accept it with goodwill, in contrast to his parents' contributions.

Watching the boy thoughtfully, he didn't notice Margaret turn around and leave the room with apparent outrage. It was when Gavin turned to him and pulled his eyebrows together. At that moment, Nines noticed that he had been staring at the boy for a while.

Nines immediately avoided his gaze but could see out of the corner of his eye how Gavin's eyes darkened.

"I'm going to take a shower," the boy finally said and walked toward his closet to grab a few things.

"And from the looks of you, you could use a shower as well," he turned back to Nines and patterned the android from top to bottom.

"You want me to come with you?", Nines asked irritatedly and noticed the nonsense of his question immediately when it was pronounced. "Don't want any mirrors to break again," he tried to overplay his question with a cynical remark that only made it worse.

What was wrong with him?

"Very funny indeed, tin can," Gavin did not seem at all amused, as expected, and gave the android a sinister look.

Nines bit his lips and watched the boy leave the room in silence shortly afterward.

To Gavin's relief, the late breakfast that Margaret had made him had gone quite smoothly and without further reproach or incident. While she still seemed upset about last night's action, she at least did not seem to consider contacting his parents or taking any other action about it.

Her infinite understanding was one of the reasons why he insisted on keeping his given promise so that he was now sitting in the middle of the chaos he had caused by himself last night. He didn't really know what had gotten into him yesterday and what had actually driven him to overreact so much.

Since he had only touched a few drops of alcohol, contrary to his own claim to have been drunk, he could still remember every detail. That Lydia and Christian had brought along this model guy named Tom, with whom Gavin got along relatively well after a while. Tom, who had asked Gavin to show him the property at some point when Nines was out of reach.

God, he had been so stupid. He should have known better.

When the two of them had been alone, Tom almost immediately started to compliment him constantly, getting closer and closer. Uncertain about how to deal with it, Gavin's mind had completely shut down for some reason, and he hadn't realized what this guy was really up to.

Even when Tom suddenly sat down on the pavilion bench and took Gavin with him, he didn't have enough sense to resist. Even before he had been able to put his thoughts in order, he had already felt Tom's lips on his, followed by the treacherous laughter from the background that had set the whole emotional chaos in motion. Then he suddenly grasped the whole situation, and this led him to blew his fuse completely.

Lost in thought, he squatted down on the floor and reached out his hand to reach for the shards that were still scattered on the floor before he flinched in shock when suddenly someone grabbed his wrist.

"Let me do it," he heard Nine's voice in his ear as the android pushed Gavin's arm back and instead reached for the shards himself.

"I promised Margaret I'd do that," Gavin defiantly replied.

"You promised her that we'd both do it, and I don't want you to get cut," Nines countered as he continued unwaveringly collecting the shards.

"And you can't get hurt by that?" Gavin asked more out of defiance than concern.

"Yes, but my skin is synthetic, and, unlike you, it wouldn't hurt me," Nines replied in a severe tone.

"I think it would be easier if we both just wore gloves," Gavin threw in dry, whereupon Nines paused briefly and looked at him in surprise.

"You're right," he said with such an astonished expression on his face that Gavin gave an amused puff at the sight of him.

As if they had conjured it up on purpose, Nines suddenly pulled his face as he absent-mindedly reached for one of the shards and, with a soft hiss, drew back his hand. Gavin saw the android look down at his hand with a distorted, painful expression, and a thin trickle of blue blood running down his finger.

"Didn't you just say androids don't feel pain?" Gavin asked cynically.

"We don't feel it, we just simulate it," Nines replied dryly, as he looked down at his own hand as if hypnotized.

Gavin didn't know if he was imagining it, but somehow the android was even stranger than usual today. He wondered if the incident yesterday had messed up something in his programming?

Even in his state yesterday, Gavin had noticed how overwhelmed Nines seemed to be when he desperately tried to grasp the situation and react to it. If Gavin hadn't been too preoccupied with his own emotional chaos, he could almost laugh about it.

There was almost something cute and awkward about how Nines had almost panicked and desperately tried to calm him down. Because of this sympathetic behavior, Gavin didn't even mind that the android had been lying next to him all night, watching over him like a watchdog.

"I'll get you a Band-Aid," Gavin said, as the android still stared inactively at the wound and made no effort to help himself.

"You don't have to..." he finally awoke from his trance after Gavin was with him again and reached for his hand.

"A plaster won't help you, will it?" Gavin suddenly realized his mistake, and Nines nodded silently.

"What does an android do when he's injured?" he asked curiously when Nines didn't really answer.

"My package must have included a few bottles of Thirium. I just have to make up for the loss of Thirium and add something beyond that so that I can convert it into new synthetic skin and close the wound," he finally explained.

"It's almost like humans, except that we can make our own blood and don't have to drink it," Gavin replied.

"Ultimately, this is only possible for humans through proper nutrition," Nines interjected, looking cautiously at Gavin, who was still holding the android's hand. Gavin didn't notice his gaze at all and was too busy to see how lifelike the android's hand actually looked.

"Gavin? Everything okay?" he suddenly heard Nines ask, whereupon he abruptly let go of his hand and was embarrassedly looking away.

"Yeah, everything's okay. Sorry, my mind was somewhere else."

Damn, Nines was just a machine, why did he apologize to him?

"I'll ask Margaret if she knows where we put the Thirium," he finally said and stood up from the floor. Nines was still sitting on the bathroom rug, looking up at him.

"That doesn't have to happen immediately, the loss is small," he contradicted and slowly picked himself up.

"The wound is so small that I was already able to close it, and my Thirium level is still okay," he explained, showing Gavin the already closed wound by getting up and walking towards him. He was so close that Gavin inevitably took a step back.

Nines seemed to notice this.

"Sorry, Gav," he suddenly apologized.

"That's okay," Gavin replied.

"I didn't mean today," Nines said, so Gavin looked up at him with irritation.

"If I had taken care of you properly yesterday, none of this would have happened," the android explained.

"It wasn't your fault," Gavin contradicted the android.

"Yes, it was, I shouldn't have left you alone..." Nines started again before he stopped when Gavin put a hand on his shoulder.

"It - was - not - your - fault," Gavin said slowly and emphatically so that the stupid android finally understood. "I gave you the order to go into the house myself, and this guy took the chance to mess with me. It's my fault that you weren't there to help me, and it's my fault that this guy tricked me," he explained, as the android still looked doubtful.

"On the contrary, you helped me a lot," he added and lowered his head.

"May I ask you something? Something personal," asked Nines, whereupon Gavin looked up again and nodded.

"Why is it such a problem for you when others see this young man kissing you? I don't understand why they brought him here, especially for this, and why Christian and Lydia wanted to harm you with this photo. What's so bad about it?" he asked so directly that Gavin lost his spit for a moment and stared at the android speechlessly.

"I ..." he finally tried to answer, but then the words failed him. Nines waited patiently, however, until he had gathered himself.

"This is complicated," he finally evaded.

He could not tell Nines that his father was the biggest homophobic and racist asshole in the nation. He couldn't tell him that he was constantly asking himself what he really wanted. Every time he got closer to another man and could have found out, the whole thing ended in absolute chaos. He either didn't remember or got in conflict before figuring out what he really felt. Maybe this was just a phase, a phase that had started about a year ago and would come to an end if only he had the chance to find an answer. If he hadn't met this one man about a year ago who had suddenly turned his head, he might not even have doubted that he was only attracted to women. He had dated women exclusively until he was eighteen, but his relationships never lasted long. He had always believed that he just had to find the right one, until that one day when he was alone in that club on the other side of town. He had been really drunk and met this dark-haired guy with blue eyes. He didn't even remember his name, only that they had been standing behind the club, kissing wildly, until the dark-haired guy suddenly asked him if Gavin wanted to come to his place. That was the moment when Gavin suddenly realized his own actions and blew a fuse. He had pushed the man away and had run away. He had wandered drunk through the city all night before he finally reached the property and fell half-dead into bed.

He could not tell all this to the android. He had never told anyone before. And he would never tell anyone either.

He also didn't know where Lydia and Christian's sudden obsession with it came from. Maybe they had seen him together with this Tony; perhaps he had betrayed himself through something else; maybe they had acted on suspicion because his father had already attracted attention several times through his homophobic statements. He just did not know, and he did not want to know anymore. He didn't want to have anything more to do with them. He didn't want to have anything more to do with this subject. He would simply ignore this feeling until it disappeared by itself. That was surely all just a phase. Just a stupid ...

"Gavin?" Nines asked before Gavin suddenly felt his hand on his shoulder.

"I-I ... don't know why these two made such a fuss about it. Please just forget it and never talk about it again."

"Gavin, you had a breakdown because of this. You can't tell me this happened because of some stupid prank."

"Why do you need to know that so badly?" Gavin asked in a shaky voice.

"It's my job to protect you. I need to know what's threatening you. That also applies to psychological threats, especially when others use them against you," the android just didn't let go.

"Do we have to sort this out now, of all times?" Gavin whispered at him and pushed the android's hand off his shoulder. Nines wanted to grab him again, but Gavin backed away from him.

"Don't touch me," he hissed. He didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to forget.

"Just... please leave me alone, okay," he finally said and took a few more steps back before he turned around and left the bathroom.


	11. Loyalty

Thoughtfully, Gavin looked down at his cell phone as he sat on the bed and reviewed his messages. To his relief, Nines had been right in claiming that the threat had been eliminated. The very first thing he did was to remove Lydia and Christian directly from his friend list after he had gone through their timeline once again for safety's sake. Luckily, neither of them mentioned last night. With a soft sigh, he closed the app and stared absently at the smartphone for a while. Again, he noticed that his parents hadn't made any effort to contact him in any way since last week. He didn't really care, but he just couldn't suppress this depressing feeling that had been caused by their silence during the last days. Maybe he just thought about it too much. Probably they were just confused because of the time difference, and at least his mother would still contact him.

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice Nines entering the room and standing next to the bed. Only when the android held a cup of coffee in front of his nose did he look up in surprise.

"I think you could use a pick-me-up after last night," he said, but Gavin just frowned at him and pushed his hand with the coffee aside.

"If I wanted a coffee, I would have said so already, and I would have got it myself, too. You are not my butler," he murmured.

"But that would be a function I could fulfill," Nines replied.

"But you shouldn't, and at the moment, I would be happy if you would just leave me alone," Gavin hissed.

"Are you still upset about yesterday?"

"Now you're starting to piss me off again. I liked you better yesterday. At least you seemed human," Gavin said.

"Sorry," he apologized immediately before he realized again how absurd that was.

Thoughtfully, Nines looked down at him as he put the coffee aside and sat down right next to him. He sat quite close, and Gavin's first instinct was to move away from him, but then he felt the android's warmth on his skin and was amazed again at how human Nines seemed.

"I told you to leave me alone. Are you ignoring my orders now?" he growled dismissively and pulled his legs to his body.

"Yes, I can ignore your orders if I know that it only makes your condition worse. I made the mistake yesterday of listening to your orders, although my feeling told me that I'd better not leave you alone," Nines contradicted.

"Your feeling told you that?" Gavin asked, laughing contemptuously so that Nines gave him an offended look. For some reason, Gavin was so surprised by this sight that he suddenly started laughing out loud, and the android looked even more peculiar.

"Why are you laughing?" he finally asked, irritated.

"Your face, you really looked as if you were in a huff," Gavin explained amusedly.

"Actually, you really insulted me," Nines replied thoughtfully, and Gavin stared at him in disbelief for a brief moment.

He was about to reply when he suddenly heard his cell phone's ringtone and turned away from Nines.

Had his parents thought of him after all?

A bit too hectically, he grabbed his cell phone and looked at the display with big eyes. A mixture of disappointment and surprise spread through him as he read the name.

Christian? What did he want?

Uncertain as to whether he should take the call, he simply stared at the ringing cell phone for a moment before tapping the answer button.

"Yes?" he saved himself an extensive greeting.

"Gav?" Christian asked on the other end of the line.

"Who else should it be?" Gavin replied with audible displeasure in his voice.

"I don't know, maybe your android or something," Christian said before an oppressive silence arose between the two.

"Listen, I ...," Christian finally tried, but then he faltered again.

"What the hell do you want?" Gavin became increasingly irritable and wondered why he had answered the phone at all after last night.

"I'm sorry, Gav," Christian said with a resigned sigh.

"Do you actually think I'm foolish?" Gavin asked distantly.

"I didn't expect you to accept the apology, but I wanted to tell you at least that it was really a stupid action on my part, and I know that. I ... let Lydia talk me into it ... then the alcohol and she - fuck - will you please give me a chance to explain the whole thing to you? I'm not like that, and I have nothing against you."

"I don't think the whole thing needs any more explanation. I'm done with you," Gavin had no intention of being messed around again and was about to hang up.

"Gavin, wait," he even heard Christian's calls when he had the phone off his ear, whereupon he picked it up again.

"Let's meet and let me explain the matter to you," Christian almost begged.

"Why?"

"You don't know why Lydia was so focused on you, do you?" Christian suddenly asked, frowning at Gavin.

"No, but I don't care anymore either. She probably just doesn't like me or is just pissed off because I turned her down. It's just..."

"You don't talk to your dad much, do you?" he was interrupted by Christian.

"What makes you think that?" Gavin murmured skeptically.

"Your father is planning to take her family's company. She ... she thought she could hurt him by publishing this photo of you since your father is so ... a ... well ..."

"...inhuman asshole," Gavin helped him finish the sentence.

"Yes - I mean no... I'm... I'm really sorry, Gav," Christian replied, audibly insecure.

Gavin remained thoughtfully silent.

"That's why I wanted to explain things to you in more detail and apologize to you personally. I was an asshole, I shouldn't have been involved in this shit," Christian sounded honestly concerned.

"Then explain it to me ... on the phone," Gavin remained skeptical. He glanced briefly over at Nines, who was just shaking his head.

"If you don't trust me - which I can understand - then bring someone with you. Your android, for example," Christian finally suggested.

Gavin looked up and observed Nines thoughtfully as he gave him a questioning look.

"Okay, I'll bring Nines. Where shall we meet?" he finally gave in. He had already done enough shit of his own that he wasn't exactly proud of and knew how Christian must feel at that moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Nines' energetic head shaking, but he deliberately ignored it while Christian told him where to meet.

Slowly Nines began to really wonder if the boy was just damn naive or totally stupid. Despite last week's events and last night's incident, Gavin had actually been persuaded to meet up with this Christian Pierce again. Despite the fact that this man had openly threatened him last night and caused the boy a real nervous breakdown, he just couldn't distance himself from him. It almost seemed as if Gavin was deliberately surrounding himself with people who wanted to harm him. As if the tense relationship between him and his parents wasn't enough to worry about, he seemed to provoke a constant kick in the ass.

As he continued to be inwardly irritated by the young gentleman, Nines stood next to Gavin with a sinister expression on his face and looked over to Christian, who was coming toward them.

Christian gave them a forced smile before reaching out his hand in Gavin's direction. In response, Gavin demonstratively put his hands in his pockets, and Nines raised his eyebrow in surprise. Did the boy have a spark of self-respect after all? Usually, Nines wouldn't really have welcomed such behavior, but under the circumstances, he appreciated Gavin's reaction more than he wanted to admit to himself.

Christian gave a resigned sigh and let his hand drop again before he looked around a little lost.

"How about some coffee after the long evening?" he finally asked, after which Gavin just nodded in silence. Without exchanging another word, they went to a nearby café.

Still in silence, they finally entered the café and sat down at one of the free tables near the window. Nines pondered for a brief moment whether it would be better for him to stand next to the boy at a distance or to sit directly next to him before Gavin addressed him in an irritated tone.

"Now plant yourself. You're making me all nervous, you creep," he said and tapped invitingly with his hand on the chair beside him. Hesitantly, Nines accepted the invitation, whereupon Gavin gave him a satisfied smile.

"Gavin, I ..." Christian was about to start saying something when Nines suddenly interrupted him and stretched his open palm in his direction.

"After the recent incidents, I would ask you to hand over your cell phone first. I can't risk any recordings of this conversation," he said coolly and received a surprised look from both.

"Uh ..." Gavin apparently wanted to intervene when Christian interrupted him with a sigh and actually handed the android his cell phone.

"Just take it. Wouldn't be the first time," Christian murmured before turning away from Nines and looking over to Gavin. Gavin looked somewhat irritated between the android and the young man.

"Don't ask," Christian threw in and tugged at his sweater in embarrassment when he noticed Gavin's look.

"You wanted to explain to me in more detail why you started this action against me yesterday," Gavin returned to the actual topic of conversation with an irritated shake of his head.

"Yes, first of all: Sorry, Gav, I was an asshole. We shouldn't have brought this guy along and set him on you. We shouldn't have taken that picture and put you in such a tight spot either. I... I was only trying to help Lydia because..."

"You have a thing for the lady," Nines suddenly finished the sentence for him, and Gavin gave him a reproachful look.

"You hoped the whole thing would help your girlfriend with her family business and make an impression on her," the android continued, unimpressed.

"Nines?" Gavin interrupted him irritably.

"Yes?"

"Shut the fuck up."

Somewhat offended, Nines turned away from the boy. He had only wanted to help. He still didn't understand what this conversation was all about. It had already been evident after the phone call which motive this man had had. It did not automatically undo his act if he explained it in more detail. So why put yourself in the unnecessary danger of re-encountering this man and offer another target for attack?

"Now that your android has put it all together so aptly, I can actually spare myself the explanation," Christian commented on the android's words, glancing reproachfully at him. Nines, however, did not let himself be put off by this and defiantly withstood his gaze.

"Can I ask you something anyway?" Gavin asked in a severe tone.

Christian nodded in silence.

"Why ..." he began, nervously rubbing his finger over the healing wound on his nose, "why is Lydia so obsessed with the idea that I ... have a thing for men?"

Inevitably, Nines grabbed his forehead. Why did he now start with the topic that had so troubled him?

"Um, that..." Christian now seemed a bit overwhelmed. "She claimed that she saw you in a club with a blond guy like that the week before last," he explained, while he was visibly uncomfortable with the subject.

Gavin's gaze darkened instantly.

"She probably just misunderstood something there," Christian threw in, embarrassed when he saw Gavin's expression. "Actually, she doesn't even have anything against you, she was just so desperate that she was obsessed with it because your father was so ... well - she hoped it would put a damper on him and make him insecure," he stuttered.

"And she accepted that he would make my life hell and blame me for his alleged image damage," Gavin added with a contracted eyebrow.

Christian met him with a slightly desperate look.

"Gavin, we..."

"I think you have sufficiently explained your and her point of view," Gavin interrupted him.

"I'm really sorry ... Lydia, too," Christian defended himself and his girlfriend.

"Then why are only you sitting here? I don't think she is really sorry. You're just saying this in her name to protect her from a backlash. And even if she were here, she has already made an empty apology once. She will continue to try to attack my father over me as long as there is a chance for her," Gavin said in an unwavering tone of voice.

Nines threw a surprised look at him. Was the boy not so stupid after all?

"I appreciate your attempt, Christian. I even believe that you are personally sorry, but I would prefer it if we parted ways in the future since you are so under her influence. I cannot risk exposing myself or my family to your whims and attacks. I wish you a good life and hope your efforts have been worthwhile," Gavin said before getting up from his seat and looking over at Nines.

"Give him back his cell phone, we're leaving," he commanded as Nines did not move and looked at him in surprise for a moment. There it was again. This was another moment when Gavin radiated that self-controlled aura as if this childish behavior he usually displayed had never existed.

Gavin had already turned towards the exit when Nines gave back the cell phone to the speechless young man sitting next to him and finally said goodbye to follow Gavin.

The boy had already run ahead, so Nines had to catch up with him by two streets, but Gavin suddenly turned into one of the side streets before he could reach him. Slightly confused, Nines slowed down his run while he hesitantly headed for the alley and looked for the boy. Startled, he flinched when he heard a loud bang and watched Gavin kick angrily against some garbage cans that stood against one of the house walls. He stopped for a moment and wondered what Gavin wanted to achieve with this behavior. Finally approaching him after a moment of confusion, Nines pulled the boy by the hood of his jacket away from the garbage cans.

"What's it going to be when it's finished?" Nines asked, and at the same moment, could not believe that he had just mentally described this boy as controlled and disciplined. Gavin had a real talent for immediately nipping any hope in the bud.

The boy tores himself away from the android and gave him an angry look.

"They know it," Gavin expressed himself cryptically, throwing his hands over his head.

"That you have consorted with a man?" Nines dryly noted, whereupon Gavin looked at him with big eyes.

"What? No, I mean, yes... I'm, uh - I don't know. I don't remember... I don't - fuck," the boy was apparently not so sure himself.

"Gavin, calm down," Nines said.

"How am I supposed to calm down? She knows, she's seen me, and she won't calm down until she's rubbed it in my father's face and everyone else's."

"And that would be so bad?"

"No, it's not. It wouldn't even be worth mentioning if my father didn't wring my neck for it," he explained, spinning in circles.

"I still don't understand..."

"You don't understand," Gavin interjected hysterically.

"But I just told you that," Nines replied unflinchingly, and the boy paused for a moment and thought for himself.

"Don't fuck with me," he growled but seemed to have calmed down a bit with the distraction.

"That was not my intention. I just still don't understand why your father should wring your neck over it."

"I don't know, ask him," the boy became slightly hysterical again.

"Okay, I will," Nines replied.

"What? No!" Gavin gave him a shocked look before he pulled his eyebrows together. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" he asked the android.

"Apparently, it helps you to calm down. Apparently better than my reaction yesterday," Nines admitted. He had already understood what was bothering the boy. He himself and the people around him had given enough clues, and his current reaction only confirmed this assumption.

Androids may have their problems understanding human emotions, but they were undoubtedly able to analyze the connections and draw their own conclusions.

Also, Gavin was not very talented at keeping his emotions under control and thus keeping secrets for a long time. It surprised Nines that the boy was able to keep this secret from his parents for so long. It was probably because the two of them, especially his father, didn't seem very interested in him. Even that hadn't escaped him in the last days. They had not even wished him a happy birthday. He didn't know whether they had forgotten or deliberately ignored it, but they made their attitude towards their own son more than clear.

A bit overwhelmed, Gavin stood silently in front of the android and looked at him with big eyes, whereupon Nines couldn't help but put his arm around him and pull him towards him. Contrary to his expectations, the boy did not resist his embrace.

"We'll work it out. I won't let anyone harm you, even if it's your own father," he promised his unconditional loyalty and felt Gavin slowly relax.


	12. Don't fuck with me!

Gavin and Nines had returned to the property in the early afternoon after the talk with Christian. The boy had talked with the housekeeper and the gardener for only a brief moment before he had gone to his room alone a little later and had barricaded himself there until the end of the day. Margaret had quickly given up trying to lure the boy out of his room and finally gave Nines the task of checking on Gavin in the evening and making sure he ate something. She had given Nines a few reproachful looks but had not asked why the boy was in such a bad mood. Apparently, she had assumed that the night before was still gnawing on Gavin. She left it that way after Nines promised to check on the boy at regular intervals.

So it happened that late in the evening, with a plate of noodles in his hand, Nines stood outside Gavin's room and knocked tentatively on the door.

"Gavin, you haven't eaten much today. You should at least eat something to avoid hypoglycemia and lack of nutrients," he said through the closed door, but the boy didn't even bother to tell him to go.

Nines stepped back from the door with a sigh and stared at the plate in his hand for a brief moment before deciding that it was better to take it back to the kitchen. On the way back, he descended the stairs leading to the foyer while he suddenly heard loud music that seemed to come from the other end of the house. Hurriedly, he ran to the kitchen and put the plate in the refrigerator before turning around and looking for the music's origin. He already suspected that Gavin would be the reason for the loud music, but he wanted to check on the boy anyway and was almost relieved that Gavin had apparently left his room.

However, this relief subsided abruptly when he could locate the source of the music in the library and opened the large double door leading into the room. The music, which came from a stereo at the other end of the room, was now almost unbearably loud. Had Nines been a human being, he would have closed the doors immediately due to the volume and taken off, but he stopped and looked out for the boy. He spotted Gavin jumping like a kangaroo over the sofas, set up in a U-shape in front of a fireplace. He was holding a bottle in his hand, right in front of his nose, and roared into it as if it were a microphone.

Nines couldn't hold back an amused smile until he suddenly saw Gavin put the bottle to his mouth and emptied it to half in one go. Nines' thirium pump missed a beat as he automatically analyzed the label on the bottle. The liquid that Gavin poured into himself was high-proof alcohol.

"Gavin," he shouted into the room, but the music drowned out his voice and forced him to walk straight to Gavin. The boy was about to jump from one sofa to the other when Nines grabbed him by the arm after he ignored him. Apparently, Gavin hadn't noticed the android at all because he flinched at Nines' touch and stumbled right over his own feet. He tried to catch himself, but the alcohol was already affecting, so he couldn't find his balance in time. Gavin barely saved himself from falling to the ground by reaching out his free hand to Nines and leaning heavily on his right shoulder.

"Don't scare me like that, tin can," he growled before he disengaged himself from the android and stood up again. Standing on the sofa, he looked down at Nines with an angry look. But Nines wasn't intimidated and tore the bottle from Gavin's hand, which he had held on to despite the fall.

"Hey," protested Gavin and climbed down from the sofa while Nines took a few steps away and walked towards the stereo to turn off the music.

He should have done that right away.

When Gavin finally caught up with him, Nines held the bottle so high over his head that the boy couldn't reach it.

"Give it back to me," Gavin begged as he hopped around in front of the android and fished for the bottle with an outstretched arm.

"I think you've had enough for today," he admonished the boy, whereupon Gavin surprisingly left him.

Nines blinked, irritated when Gavin suddenly walked to the other end of the room.

"I just grab something else," he murmured after reaching one of the closets and opening it. Nines watched in horror as Gavin took another bottle from the cabinet and tampered with the cap. While the boy was still busy opening the bottle, Nines caught up with him and tore it out of his hand again. He looked around somewhat perplexed as he looked for a suitable place to put the two bottles in his hands out of Gavin's reach, but while he was still thinking about it, Gavin was already reaching for a third bottle.

Damn, how many more were in there?

"Damn it, Gavin. That's enough," he shouted at the boy loudly in the absence of a free hand and the resulting desperation. Gavin let go of the bottle in surprise and retreated in fright from the android.

"You have already drunk a considerable amount. If you drink any more, it will be dangerous. I don't want to have to take you to the hospital with alcohol poisoning," Nines explained more calmly when he realized how much he just intimidated the boy.

Gavin still looked at him with big eyes, but at least he hadn't retreated any further. Nines had had no intention of frightening him.

He placed the two bottles in his hand in the closet, while he did not let the boy, who still stood in front of him frozen, out of his sight.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, reaching out his hand to Gavin but not touching him.

"May I read your vital signs? I want to know if you're okay," he asked cautiously, whereupon Gavin nodded.

Nines put his hand on his shoulder. "You already have over 2 parts per thousand in your blood. I really wouldn't advise you to keep drinking," he explained as he took his hand off Gavin's shoulder again.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so brash," he continued as the boy did not make a sound.

Gavin remained silent.

"Why were you getting drunk?"

Silence again.

"Because of the events of the past few days?"

"I just wanted to celebrate a little," Gavin finally replied.

"Because the last few days give reason to do so?" Nines said ironically.

"Do you really care?"

"A lot. I have to protect you from harm."

"That's right, you HAVE TO," Gavin emphasized the last words overly clearly.

Nines tilted his head questioningly.

"Everyone is only in my presence because they have to," Gavin mumbled, barely audible.

"I have to admit that you are a little special, but that doesn't mean..."

"You're only here because you have to be. Because your programming tells you to. My mum has to buy me an android because nobody else can stand me. Even my friends ... they ..." Gavin continued to whine before he suddenly swayed and held on to the edge of the cupboard with one hand.

"Gavin, are you all right?"

"I'm sick," he replied, sinking slightly into himself.

"You drank too much at once," Nines said and crouched down next to the boy.

"Let me help you up. I'll take you to the sofa. You can lie down there," he explained as he reached out for Gavin.

The boy looked up briefly and seemed to consider whether he should accept the help before nodding and grasping Nines' hand. The android helped him up and drew him closer to himself so he could reach under the boy's arms before dragging him over to the sofa.

"You're so warm," Gavin suddenly said.

"Hm?"

"Like a real person," the boy added dazedly.

"We were constructed in such a way that you can hardly tell us from a real person," Nines explained as they reached the sofa sitting down on it.

"They succeeded," he said as he pulled his legs up and supported his chin on his arms resting on his knees.

"Is it better?" Nines asked.

"Yes, it is," Gavin muttered and wrapped his arms around his legs.

Nines watched him attentively and noticed that the boy always did this when he was really unwell.

"I'll get you some water. Wait a minute," he said and turned around to leave the room. Shortly after, he returned with the water in his hand and handed it to Gavin, who was still huddled on the sofa. Gratefully, he accepted the glass and took a big gulp from it.

Nines sat down beside him and thoughtfully watched him from the side.

"Will you tell me why you got drunk?"

"I already said that," Gavin grumbled and turned away from the android demonstratively.

"Is it because of the thing we talked about today after the meeting with Christian?" Nines assumed that there was more to it.

"We didn't talk about anything," Gavin denied his little panic attack in the alley.

"Gavin, I could even give you the exact wording," Nines tried again.

Gavin was silent.

"You're unsure of your sexual orientation, aren't you?" Nines asked directly, whereupon Gavin raised his head and gave him a reproachful look.

"And you're afraid that your father might object if you found that you were attracted to men. Am I right?"

"Leave me alone," the boy just growled, but he did not deny it.

"Or am I wrong in my first assumption, and you already know it, but don't want to admit it?"

"I told you to leave me alone!"

"What exactly would be the effect of telling your father?"

Gavin stretched out his legs and looked as if he was about to run away, but he stayed in his seat against all the odds.

"He'd probably kill me," he replied, staring down at his feet.

"Wouldn't that be a bit excessive?" Nines asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't know my father," Gavin said, pulling his legs back on.

Apparently, the boy had decided to stay after all.

"Why does your father have such a problem with this?"

"Because he's a homophobic asshole - as are his business partners - which is why he would hate me for the rest of his life if I screwed up his business," Gavin explained quietly.

"Why do your father and his business partners feel so threatened by another person's sexual orientation?"

Gavin just shrugged his shoulders. "You can do your own research. I don't feel like explaining it to you because I don't understand it myself," he added muttering.

Nines did as he was told before he narrowed his eyebrows in irritation.

"Just as smart as before, right?" Gavin asked when he saw the android's gaze.

"Sometimes I don't understand humans," was the only thing Nines said on it.

"Neither do I. I don't even understand myself. I don't even know if I have to worry about these things."

"You mean, my first assumption was right?"

"What was that again?"

"That you don't even know about yourself."

"Every time I get involved with a man, it didn't end well, and... " the boy said and paused for a moment.

Nines gave Gavin some time to gather himself as he stayed quiet.

"And now that I've been seen with this blond guy, whom I don't even remember, they will observe me even more," Gavin finished the sentence.

"How do you know he was blond if you can't remember?"

"Met him outside the garage the other day. He hit on me again."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Gavin confirmed before an awkward silence began.

"I won't try to find out anymore either," the boy said after a while.

"Will you really be happy with it?" Nines asked skeptically.

"That's not important. The risk is too great," Gavin mumbled.

"My research also told me that it's not really good for a person to repress their true sexuality," Nines explained.

"I don't even know if..."

"I might be able to help you," Nines suddenly had an idea.

"What?"

"I can help you find out what you really want without taking any risks."

"How?"

"I am a man, you could...", Nines wanted to point out his additional functions.

"What? No."

"Why not?" he reacted honestly irritated.

"Are you hitting on me right now?" Gavin asked incredulously.

"It was only a suggestion."

"You're a man. You're not even human."

"I am modeled in every detail on a male human, and I am quite capable of consorting with a human."

"Even if you were human, it doesn't work like that."

"Shall I show you?" Nines asked, moving closer to Gavin.

"N-No," Gavin stuttered insecurely as he moved back to the other end of the sofa.

"Why not? I'm not telling anyone anything. You can be sure with me that I don't want to harm you," Nines moved up to him.

"Go away," Gavin still reacted dismissively.

"Am I not attractive enough for you?", Nines asked.

"That's not it," Gavin murmured.

"Then what?"

"I told you that's not ... waaah," Gavin started to explain again before he lost his footing and fell off the sofa as he pushed back further.

"Gavin? Are you all right?" Nines leaned down over the edge to him, startled. As he leaned over Gavin, the boy flinched abruptly and moved away from him again.

"Don't touch me," he stammered.

"I just wanted to see if you were hurt."

"You just want to touch me. I'll call for help if you do that again," the boy threatened.

"Don't talk nonsense. I won't hurt you. Besides, we are alone, nobody can hear you anyway," Nines reacted to his own astonishment, more amused than shocked.

"I'm calling the police!" Gavin suddenly called out.

"You're welcome to do that," Nines said as he stood up and reached out his hand to Gavin with a laugh, "but you'd have to get up off the floor first."

Gavin frowned skeptically at him before he finally took Nines' hand.

"Did you just laugh?" he asked suspiciously as he came to a halt in front of the android.

Nines didn't answer but just stared at him with a smile.

Somehow he actually enjoyed teasing the boy after his exaggerated reaction. A truly unique quality for an android, he noted with slight irritation. He wondered if this was perhaps further development of his programming to make him seem even more human. Apparently, this was just an automated reaction to Gavin's behavior to defuse the situation.

"Stop making fun of me," Gavin was not quite as amused.

"I wasn't making fun of you," Nines made a half-hearted attempt to placate the boy.

"What on earth gave me the idea to tell all this to an android of all people? I should have kept my mouth shut," Gavin said, looking down at the ground.

"I had noticed it anyway. And I'm not making fun of you. You were just so depressed and ...", Nines wanted to start an explanation.

"And you thought you'd do better," Gavin ended the sentence in a reproachful tone.

"I only wanted to help you," Nines even told the truth.

"You know what? Go fuck yourself!" Gavin shouted at him.

Nines visibly denied himself an answer.

"And don't you dare make any raunchy comments about that," Gavin threw in of his own accord when he interpreted Nines' look correctly.

Still angry, he turned away from the android and walked over to the door before turning around again.

"I'm going to turn in, and don't you dare enter my room, you creep," he growled and left the room.

"You should eat something before," Nines called after him. He already knew Gavin's outbursts of rage well enough and didn't let them really upset him anymore.

"Fuck you, you creep!" Gavin shouted to him from a distance.

"The spaghetti is in the refrigerator," Nines continued, not letting himself be provoked, hoping the boy would eat something after all.

He could hear Gavin's footsteps suddenly change direction, and he apparently actually went to the kitchen. The alcohol had probably made him hungry.

As Gavin's footsteps disappeared further toward the kitchen, the corner of Nine's mouth moved up again. He remembered the first impression he had had of Gavin on his first day, which the boy had proved more than once.

Gavin's manner was really very special and exhausting, but contrary to Nines' expectations, this did not bother him as much as he had feared. In the end, he was even happy to serve the boy and not his father, because Gavin, if you took the effort to get to know him better, was somehow ... what do humans call it? ... cute?


	13. Fuck

Immersed in his work, Nines stood in the estate's kitchen and was busy preparing dinner for the boy. Today, Nines was exceptionally in charge of the household, as Margaret and Bruce had been invited to a wedding celebration within their family and had already asked them for this day off a week ago. Although Margaret had told him that he only had to take care of the things directly related to Gavin, Nines had already done the laundry, cleaned Gavin's room, cleaned the bathroom, and made the garden house ready for winter. He was happy to have so many opportunities to make himself useful while Gavin was doing his side job.

After the boy had slept until noon, he had gone to work in the early afternoon despite a slight hangover. Gavin had behaved as usual at noon today - apart from his tomcat - and had not mentioned yesterday evening with a single word. It was already late afternoon, and Nines wanted to cook a healthy meal for the boy, at least for dinner. In his presence, Gavin hadn't eaten anything today, and if he should have picked something up on the way, it was probably just unhealthy fast food.

When Nines took the food out of the oven, about an hour later, he could already hear the back door of the kitchen opening and someone entering the kitchen. He placed the casserole dish on the counter and turned in the direction he thought Gavin was going. Surprised, he paused when he realized that another person had entered the kitchen with Gavin. It was a young girl who was undoubtedly considered pretty in the eyes of humans.

She held Gavin's hand and whispered something in his ear when she saw Nines, before taking a few steps back and pretending to be afraid of the android. It was more than evident that she was acting, yet Gavin turned to her and reassuringly spoke to her. She visibly enjoyed his attention and looked over to the android again while clinging to Gavin's arm.

Nines didn't know why, but for some reason, he didn't like this girl, even though he knew her for only a few seconds. But as an android, was it even his right to form such a short-term opinion about a stranger? He had already made this mistake with Gavin. Was it because he unconsciously projected the bad qualities of this Lydia, who had bullied Gavin so badly, onto this girl at Gavin's side? And therefore considered her a potential danger? Why did Gavin bring a girl here in the first place?

"Hey, Nines, did you crash or what?" he suddenly heard Gavin's loud question, so that his attention returned to the present.

"So, once again. That's Nines, my android," Gavin pointed his finger at Nines before he put his arm around the girl's hips and pulled her towards him.

"This is Anna, a friend of mine," he introduced the girl.

"Just 'a' friend?" she asked with feigned indignation and put her forehead against Gavin's temple before he turned his head towards her and kissed her on the mouth.

Nines rolled his eyes inside as he watched this pitiful spectacle. What did Gavin want to achieve with this? It was almost as if he was provoking the drama in a masochistic way. If Nines didn't know any better by now, he would really doubt Gavin's intelligence, but this way, he knew that it was just a mixture of naivety and defiance.

"Does he always look so evil?" Anna asked with a glance at Nines, thus drawing his attention back to himself.

"Yeah, this series is somehow very grouchy and humorless, because he's actually a kind of bodyguard with additional functions," Gavin said disparagingly.

Nines would have loved to contradict him and point out that he was absolutely capable of humorous and friendly behavior, but it wasn't up to him. Regardless, it probably wouldn't make sense anyway.

"And one of those extra functions is cooking?" she asked as she broke away from Gavin and stepped towards the counter where the casserole prepared by Nines was standing. She didn't even have the decency to reach for the cutlery when she simply stuck her index finger into the casserole and licked it.

"Wow, that even tastes good," she said in surprise.

"Why shouldn't it?" Nines could not hold back after all.

"I don't know. You can't taste anything after all. That's why my father only lets people work in our restaurants. He says that nothing could replace a human's sense of taste. Besides, the customers wouldn't accept it if an android cooked their food," she explained in a slightly derogatory tone.

"Androids can cook exactly to the receipt, so we can get the desired flavor exactly by measuring the ingredients," Nines defended himself.

"And if there are no receipts, what do you do? There are quite a few dishes that the chef has to prepare instinctively and for which there are no receipts. Besides, tastes are different," she said in response to his provocation.

Nines glanced at her in silence for a moment and was about to open his mouth again to reply when Gavin suddenly interrupted him.

"Enough talk about food. Let's go upstairs," he said as he approached her and caressed her neck. Nines' gaze darkened even more at this sight. What was the boy trying to do with it? Was he trying to prove something to himself? It could only end in another catastrophe.

Gavin broke away from her and grabbed her hand to pull her towards the door.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Nines asked so that the two paused briefly and looked at him in surprise.

"I already ate on the way. Besides, I did not ask you to cook anything. It's not your job, so cut the crap," Gavin declined the offer before the two turned their backs on the android and disappeared in the hallway with a quiet giggle.

Gritting his teeth, Nines stared at the door through which the two had just disappeared before he reached for the casserole dish in one quick movement and dumped the contents directly into the trash. He then threw the empty casserole dish into the sink and simply left it there. He didn't know why he did this. He could have simply put it in the fridge and saved it for later. He could have at least clean up, but according to Gavin, it wasn't his job to take care of it so that he wouldn't do it anymore. He frowned for a while and just stared at the sink before he turned on his heel and left the kitchen in a hurry.

Nervously, Gavin watched the young woman who slowly walked around his room and let her gaze wander over all his things after they decided to retire here. Actually, he had only met Anna by chance at work. Her father regularly had his expensive luxury car serviced by them, and she had been there every time. On her last visit, her father had announced that he wanted to buy her a car and asked Gavin to advise her.

During one of the test drives, they had finally come closer. He had already noticed that she had an eye on him, which is probably why she had insisted on a test drive with him. He liked her. She was pretty and tough, so he had taken his chance. What did he have to lose?

Lost in thought, he stared at her round butt as she stood in front of one of the shelves and bent down to watch the games that were further down. At this sight, he was sure that this would be a successful evening. The thing with Tony and that dark-haired guy back then had been just a simple one-off. He had been drunk and hadn't really known what he was doing. It had all been caused by alcohol ...

"You have a skateboard? Do you still go skateboarding?" she suddenly asked.

"I used to, but not very often lately."

"Cool, you have to show me," she said and stepped up to him, before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. He returned the kiss, and before he knew it, they were both lying on his bed, only dressed in their pants, hugging another tightly. As they continued to kiss, her hand wandered down to his trousers and unbuckled his belt. No sooner had she loosened the belt than she opened his pants with a deft grip and let her hand slide in. He felt her touch in his crotch and kissed her stormy, but after a while, she stopped and gave him a questioning look. Confused, he also paused and followed her gaze, which was directed at his crotch.

"Don't panic, I got this," she joked and gave a quiet giggle as she moved her hand directly into his underpants and gripped his cock. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on her touch, but nothing moved ... nothing ...

"Shit," he cursed softly.

"Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, I ... shit, I don't know what's wrong with me today ..." he replied insecurely and detached himself from her by rolling over to the side and turning his gaze away from her.

"Hey, it happens to everybody," she tried to calm him down by putting her hand on his bare shoulder, but he pushed her away.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Nothing, I ..." he wanted to make an explanation, but he didn't know what to say.

"Am I not attractive enough for you?"

"I wouldn't have kissed you and brought you here if that would be the problem," he said and turned to her.

"What then?" she tried again, and couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice.

"I've been a bit stressed lately ..." he made a hypocritical excuse and turned away again. It was so damn embarrassing.

"I understand," she said as she sat up and got up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" he asked and sat up as well.

"Since you're so stressed, I'll leave you alone then," she replied dryly.

"Don't be so sulky," he countered.

"How am I not supposed to be sulky? You kissed me, dragged me here and then this," she said, pointing to his crotch with her hand.

"I told you that ..."

"I'd better go," she interrupted him and grabbed her top, which was lying on the floor next to the bed.

"My father and I will inform ourselves elsewhere," she explained briefly as she walked towards the door and left his room.

Disbelieving, he remained sitting and stared at the door for quite a while.

What the hell had just happened?

Was it her only goal to have sex with him?

But what did he condemn her for? He was no better.

"Fuck," he cursed loudly and hit the sheet with his clenched fist.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he murmured as he buried his face in his hands.

For a while, he just sat there before he took his hands off his face and took a deep breath. He had to stay calm. It was all right. There was undoubtedly an explanation of this. He was probably really just stressed. After all, a lot had happened in the last weeks. Yes, that had to be it. He just needed to calm down a bit, to distract himself.

Slowly he got up and walked towards his desk to grab the laptop lying on it, but then he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his toe that went all the way up his foot to his thigh. Swearing loudly, he realized that he had bumped his toe on his chair. He grabbed the chair and literally threw it into the corner of the room before he swept all the things that were on his desk with a jerk in one motion. He bent down to his laptop, which was now on the floor, and threw it against the nearest wall so that it broke in half on impact. Again he picked something up from the floor - he didn't even know what it was - and threw it towards the TV so that a loud clang filled the room when the object shattered the display. He climbed on his bed and took the skateboard off the wall before he swung out and tried to throw it towards the window, but then he felt a hand grab his arm and stop him.

"Gavin," he heard the android's familiar voice.

In a jerky movement, he tore himself away from Nines and swung out again, this time to smash the skateboard to the ground, but the android held him again.

"Let me go!" Gavin yelled angrily.

"Not until you calm down," Nines said, only strengthening his grip.

Gavin let go of the skateboard so that Nines could pick it up. He used the opportunity to tear himself away from the android and push him away from him. He was about to jump off the bed when the android's arms suddenly wrapped around his waist and pulled him back. Before he understood what was happening around him, he found himself on his back on the bed and felt Nine's heavyweight on him while the android held both his wrists, taking away all freedom of movement.

"Let go of me, you filthy dipshit," Gavin cried as he writhed under the android's grip and weight.

"Not until you calm down," Nines repeated his demand, not letting go of him.

"I order you to let me go!" Gavin yelled directly into his face.

"For fuck's sake, calm down. You're nineteen years old, so don't act like a little kid. You're an adult, act like one," Nines yelled at him in a sharp tone.

"You don't have the right to order me around, you shitty ..." Gavin interrupted himself and spat right in Nines' face.

Nines then released a hand to wipe Gavin's spit from his face, which Gavin used to try to throw Nines off, but he failed. The android was much too heavy.

"Why did you bring this woman here?" Nines asked, looking down at Gavin with a sinister look.

"That's none of your damn business," Gavin refused to answer.

"Why do you constantly harm yourself with your actions?" Nines asked again, which made Gavin pause for a moment while he looked at the android with big eyes.

"What are you trying to achieve, Gavin?" Nines asked further.

"I ...," Gavin wanted to answer him, but then he didn't know what to say.

"Why do you keep making the same mistakes over and over again? You're not stupid. I know that, so why? Why do you still deny who you are and do things that you know are bad for you?"

"Let go of me," Gavin demanded in a thin voice and tried to release his right hand with his free left hand, but Nines grabbed his arm again.

"Please, let go of me, you're hurting me," Gavin begged as he felt the panic slowly take hold of him.

"Only when you calm down," the android demanded again.

"Nines, please, I can't breathe," Gavin suddenly began gasping for air.

He could see Nines' eyes widening as the android finally understood that Gavin was not bluffing. Immediately, he let go of Gavin, and in one quick movement, he detached himself from him.

"I'm sorry," he said as if he didn't believe what he had just done.

Gavin sat up and continued to gasp for air as he felt the touch of Nines' hand against his cheek.

"Gavin?" he heard the android ask again, this time with real concern in his voice.

He noticed a touch on his shoulder before the android pulled him towards him with a jerk and wrapped his arms around him. In his panic, Gavin tried to disengage from the android, but the android held him down.

"I won't hurt you, try to calm down. It's all right," Nines spoke calmly to him, and Gavin understood that this time he wasn't holding him to keep him captive, but to give him support. This realization led him to give up his resistance. After a few seconds, he slowly began to recover.

"Are you feeling better?" he heard Nine's voice in his right ear while the android still held him, but he didn't answer and just listened to the artificial heartbeat of the android.

"Gavin?" he asked again, pushing Gavin slightly away from him so that he could look him in the face. Gavin avoided his gaze and looked to the side, but when he felt another touch on his cheek, he looked up again and pushed the android's hand away.

"Gavin, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I heard the noise and came here. I saw you storming through the room and thrashing around wildly... so... I... overreacted. I didn't want you to get hurt," he tried to apologize, but Gavin still avoided his gaze.

"This ... must be a bug in my software. I shouldn't have held you down ..." he continued, interrupting himself as Gavin gave him a reproachful look.

With a startled expression, he let go of Gavin and started to look around in confusion.

"I... will switch off," he suddenly said.

"What?" Gavin asked in surprise.

"I held you against your will and yelled at you. This is not supposed to happen. I shouldn't have done that," Nines explained.

"You won't do anything at all," Gavin replied loudly.

"But I..."

"You will not switch off, that's an order," he interrupted the android briskly, whereupon Nines gazed helplessly at him.

A long pause arose between them before Gavin finally spoke.

"You were right," he said, calmer now.

"I..."

"You were right about everything," Gavin interrupted him again and lowered his eyes.

"Gavin..."

"I was so stupid ... I kept telling myself a lie all the time, just to avoid admitting that I ... I ... fuck."

"... "

"You are the only one who understands me ... so p-please don't switch off ... please ..." he spoke frantically to the android and took his hand.

"Beat me half to death, I deserve it ... but don't turn yourself off. Stay with me. I need you," he begged.

"I had no intention of beating you half to death. I just wanted you to be safe," Nines reacted, irritated, as he looked down at his hand that Gavin was still holding.

Gavin followed the android's gaze and let go of his hand suddenly. "S-Sorry," he murmured and looked to the side, embarrassed.

Why was he suddenly so embarrassed?

All of a sudden, he felt Nines bending towards him.

"What?" he asked in surprise and could feel the android's warmth on his skin as he reached for something behind Gavin, inevitably touching him.

Gavin paused for a moment and blinked in confusion when, a split second later, he felt something soft on his shoulders. He looked down at his shoulder and recognized a part of the blanket that had been crumpled on the bed.

"You'll catch a cold," Nines explained, his perfect face just inches away from Gavin's. Embarrassed, Gavin rubbed the scar on his nose and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. At this moment he suddenly remembered Nines' offer from yesterday evening. Probably, Nines thought that Gavin had forgotten this, but he remembered it all too well. It wasn't that he didn't find the android attractive - cyberlife had even overstepped the mark in this respect - but he was not a human being. Damn, why did he have to think about that now of all times? Why did he even bother about it anymore? He couldn't go with an android ... no, that wasn't possible ...

Nines seemed to notice Gavin's embarrassment as he pulled his eyebrows together and gave him a long look that only made Gavin more embarrassed. Fuck.

"Gavin, your pulse..." he mentioned precisely what Gavin had feared.

But wait, how did he even...? Irritated, Gavin looked down at himself and realized that he had retaken Nine's hand.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Are you okay... ?", Nines wanted to ask before Gavin snatched his hand and hectically climbed over the edge of the bed. He forgot the blanket that was still half wrapped around him, so he felt a short resistance before he suddenly tilted forward and fell from the bed onto the floor. Desperately he tried to fight his way out of the blanket and to pick himself up.

He looked up and directly into Nines' face, who first looked at him in surprise before he pulled his eyebrows together in irritation.

"You like to spend your time on the floor, don't you?" he said cynically.

"Shut up," Gavin grumbled and angrily pushed the blanket away.

"Shall I help you?" Nines asked with slight amusement in his voice.

"No!" Gavin growled and stood up.

"I'm going to take a shower, clean up here," he yapped at the android and left the room straight through the door. Nines said something, but Gavin didn't listen anymore and was already crossing the hall as he rushed towards the bathroom. Once there, he slammed the door behind him and locked it.

"Fuck fuck fuck," he cursed as he covered his face with his hands and walked to the other end of the room, where he finally sat down on the edge of the tub. His thoughts raced. Everything that had happened in the last two weeks haunted his mind. The thing with Lydia, the terrible birthday party, the conversation with Christian, the thing with Anna who had turned him down, and finally Nines, who had actually made him that stupid offer just to prove that Gavin was fooling himself all along. Was Nines still aware of this when he had jumped on him and pressed him onto the bed? When his face had approached Gavin's to within inches? And when he had reached for the blanket, inevitably touching Gavin? Damn, what was that about? Gavin had told him that he didn't want that; he had told him that he would never be able to touch an android...

As if controlled by an others hand, his hand wandered down to his still-open trousers, while he imagined again how Nines grabbed him and pressed him onto the bed. How Nines sat on him, and how he could feel the android's crotch rubbing against his. A soft sigh slipped up his throat as he pushed his pants down slightly and grasped his erect cock, thinking of the android kissing him and holding him strong. He quickened his pace as he thought about Nines caressing him with his hands and lips. In his mind, he saw Nines' hand slowly move across his chest and down until it finally reached his pants and slid under them to ...

He came so quickly and violently that a loud groan left his lips, and he had to hold on to the edge of the bathtub with his free hand to avoid falling.

"Shit," he cursed when he realized what had just happened.

He was startled when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Gavin, are you okay?" he heard Nines' worried voice.

"Y-Yeah, I-I'm fine," he couldn't hide the uncertainty in his voice.

"Sure?" Nines seemed to notice.

"Yes, all good. Take care of the room, please. If Margaret shows up tomorrow, she'll wring our necks. I... give me a second, okay, I'll be right over. Okay?" he tried to get rid of the android.

"Okay, if you don't come back for the next fifteen minutes, I'll check on you again," Nines seemed unable to escape the tense mood, but Gavin could hear him slowly moving away from the door. He breathed a sigh of relief and buried his face in his hands as he paused for a moment and blanked out everything around him. After a while, he stood up and got rid of the rest of his clothes. Still agitated, he got into the shower before a soft hiss went over his lips shortly after as the cold water hit his shoulders.


	14. Stay with me

Nines looked down at the boy with a surprised look after he suddenly fell off the bed for some reason. He could not help but smile slightly and make a funny comment when he saw Gavin sitting on the floor and struggling with the blanket. He offered to help Gavin, but then the boy picked himself up and left with an advanced excuse. Worried, Nines frowned as he stared for a while at the door through which Gavin had disappeared. Had the boy perhaps taken flight because he was afraid? Deep in thought, Nines bit his lip as he recalled the events of the last few minutes. He had seen the girl leave the house, then suddenly he had heard loud noises from Gavin's room and had gone to him. Gavin had thrown his stuff around like a savage and was about to climb onto the bed and grab the skateboard, but Nines had been faster and had stopped him. Since the boy still didn't seem to calm down, Nines didn't know how to get him to rest other than holding him down.

This had already been the second situation in which Nines had been overwhelmed by Gavin's panic attack. The first situation in the bathroom had gone off lightly, but in the current one he had clearly acted wrong. He should not have held the boy. When Gavin gave the order to let him go, Nines should have followed the order and not disobeyed it. Something like this was not allowed to happen. Nines did not understand his excessive demands. These are situations that he was supposed to master without any problems with his range of functions. So why did his software always overreact like that? Why did he get into a panic-like state every time something happened that could be dangerous or not up to standard? An Android shouldn't feel that way, panic should be foreign to him. Could this have been due to the faulty programming of the module that was responsible for his human behaviour? Was this also the reason why he disobeyed Gavin's orders and yelled at him?

With such a massive accumulation of abnormal behavior, he should have shut down immediately. The law of robotics ordered him to do so, but Gavin had told him to do not, even though the boy was obviously afraid of him at that moment. The boy's pulse had skyrocketed and Nines had realized that he was doing something wrong. He wanted to show Gavin that he was no danger, but when he touched the boy again shortly after, his stress level had risen immensely again.

He had to do something. He would put himself into maintenance tonight and hope that there was already an update available that would hopefully fix the bug. If not, he would still shut down against Gavin's orders. He could not risk harming the boy.

A sudden noise made him sit up and take notice. In one quick movement, he got up and left the room to cover the short distance to the bathroom. Hesitantly, he stopped in front of the door before he heard something that sounded like a cry of pain, followed by a soft curse and he finally knocked on the door.

"Gavin, are you okay?" he asked anxiously as he again saw the pictures of Gavin's birthday party in his mind's eye.

"A-All is well, I'm f-fine," he heard Gavin answer, but the uncertainty in his voice only alarmed him even more.

"Sure?" he asked again.

"Yes, all good. Please take care of the room. If Margaret shows up tomorrow, she'll wring our necks. I... just give me a second, okay, I'll be right over. Okay?" Gavin still didn't sound convincing.

"Okay, if you don't come back in the next fifteen minutes, I'll check on you again," Nines said before slowly moving away from the door. A few steps further on, he stopped and wondered if he should check on the boy nevertheless.

He heard the shower water turn on and glanced thoughtfully over at the door before deciding to leave Gavin alone for a while.

Nines already started an update query as he went back into the room and started picking up things from the floor. Worried, he frowned when his search yielded no results. That was probably a bug in the algorithm. But before he could start a new search, Gavin suddenly came rushing into the room, dressed only in a towel. Without a word, he headed straight for his walk-in closet and disappeared into it.

"Where the hell is my favorite sweater?" he shouted over to Nines.

"I put it in the laundry," he answered.

"Why?"

"Because it was dirty."

With an angry expression on his face, Gavin stormed out, directly towards the android. By now, he was at least wearing a shirt and underpants. He put his finger on the android's chest while he gave him a threatening look.

"For Christ's sake. Stop doing things I didn't tell you to do," Gavin growled at him.

"I just wanted to help ...", Nines replied insecurely.

"Then stop it. I don't want your help unless I ask you to. Stop with your funny offers and stop mothering me."

"A moment ago, you said something else. That you need me, that I understand you, that I should not switch off, that I ...", Nines was seriously confused.

"Oh, go to hell. Margaret was right. Everything's been going down the drain since you got here," Gavin interrupted him, pushing him away with his flat hand.

Where did this sudden change of mood come from? The boy had been so forgiving a moment ago. It wasn't Nines's fault that Gavin kept getting himself into trouble. That doesn't make sense.

Nines took a few steps back, because he didn't want to risk doing the wrong thing again. At what point had everything suddenly gone so wrong? He had only wanted to fulfill his tasks, he had wanted to be a help, he ... he had failed ... he was flawed ... he was a danger ... he ... he ... did everything wrong. He was a burden. He did not serve the purpose for which he existed. He was a defective product.

"Hey, tin can, I'm talking to you," he heard Gavin's voice only from far away.

Shutdown in 30 seconds.

"Nines?" the boy's voice started to shake with more concern than resentment.

Shutdown in 20 seconds.

"Nines? You okay? What's wrong with you?" the voice became slightly hysterical.

Shutdown in 10 seconds.

He felt a touch on his arm.

"Nin-"

Silence.

Incredulous, Gavin looked at the android, who suddenly stood before him completely motionless and didn't say a single word.

"Nines?" he repeatedly called the android's name, but he didn't react.

With eyes closed, Nines stood there as if he was nothing more than a pretty statue. Again, Gavin touched his arm and shook him gently, but nothing.

What had happened? Had he shut himself down?

Shit, he hadn't wanted that. He hadn't got a grip on his frustration and had took it out on the android, even though he hadn't done anything wrong.

He had actually managed to overwhelm even Nines with his behaviour. Not even an android had been able to withstand him for more than a few days.

"Cut the crap. I got it. I won't bother you anymore. Please turn yourself on again," he said in a slightly trembling voice.

"I order you to turn on again," his tone became more forceful.

"Nines, please stop. I got it. It's not funny anymore," he continued to talk to the android when he still didn't react.

This time he grabbed Nines by the shoulders and shook him again. He looked at his face, hoping to see any reaction, but nothing, absolutely nothing. As if Nines was ... dead.

"Fuck," he cursed, looking for his laptop. For a moment he stared at the defective device he found on the ground. He shook his head and turned to the bed where he was looking for his smartphone. He finally found what he was looking for and, with trembling hands, searched for a solution by reading through various forums and instructions.

After a while, he found a similar case, and he didn't like the answer.

"If your Android should crash and no longer want to start on your command, you have to reset it to the factory settings. However, this will delete all data. If it still doesn't start, you have to contact the Cyberlife support", he read in one of the posts.

"This will delete all data," he repeated the statement aloud and shook his head. He did not want that. There had to be another way - something where Nines kept his memory. Even though Gavin yelled at him over and over again, he liked the android for who he was. If he reset him, there was the possibility that Nines would be a completely different person.

"Android, not person," he spoke to himself and shook his head again.

He continued to search in the vastness of the Internet for another possibility, but he found none. He felt the panic slowly take hold of him before suddenly a person who could help him came to his mind: Elijah.

He had created those androids. He had to know.

Gavin searched for him in his friendlist and frantically opened the messenger app to ask him, but then he hesitated. Maybe he should contact the support first before he bothered Elijah with his technical problems. But he had already read the employees' answers in the official Cyberlife forums, who apparently knew no other solution than the hard reset. At least no other solution they were allowed to share with their customers.

"Hi," he typed a greeting into the message window but then deleted it again.

"Hello, Elijah. I'm sorry to bother you ...," he wrote more formally, but then tapped the delete key again.

"Fuck," he muttered and thought for a moment before typing again.

=== Gavin Reed ==  
Hey, Elijah, you got a minute?

After a while, he could see that Elijah had read the message until a reply came a full five minutes later.

=== Elijah Kamski ==  
For what?

Elijah's dry question made Gavin hesitate again for a moment before he collected all his courage.

=== Gavin Reed ====  
I need your help with my android. I think he crashed, and I need your advice.

=== Elijah Kamski ==  
Reset it to the factory default. You can use the adapter that came with the android. The connectors are located in its neck.

Gavin already knew that.  


=== Gavin Reed ===  
That's the problem. I don't want to reset him. I want him to keep his data and memories.

=== Elijah Kamski ==  
Did you make a backup?

"Shit, no," Gavin replied loudly before answering the question in another message.

=== Elijah Kamski ==  
No backup, no mercy.

Gavin stared incredulously at the display. In his mind, he yelled at Elijah with all sorts of insults before he flinched mightily when his cell phone suddenly began to ring. On the screen, he recognized Elijah's name. Uncertain whether he should answer, he hesitated for a moment before he finally accepted the call.

"What have you done?" he finally heard Elijah's amused voice on the other end of the line. Gavin sighed with relief before he began a rough explanation.

"I was pissed because a girl turned me down, and I took my frustrations out on him."

"Did you hit him?" Elijah asked dryly.

"No, I just pushed him a little."

"What did you say to him?"

Gavin thought for a moment about whether or not to be so blunt about it.

"I told him to go to hell. That he never does what I tell him to do, that he always mind things he shouldn't mind. That he shouldn't mother me and that since he's been here, only disasters happen."

"That he hasn't even caused?" Elijah asked.

"No, I know that myself. I was angry."

"Was there anything before that?"

"He kept me from smashing up my entire facility. He held me down. To get him to let me go, I told him he was hurting me and that I was afraid of him."

"Did he really hurt you?"

"No, he... I just wanted him to let go of me."

"Did you gave him the direct order to let you go?" Elijah asked.

Gavin frowned at this question. "I didn't think of ordering him directly," he lied.

"So as a result of your accusation, he assumed he was doing you harm? And you had encouraged him that he was not acting correctly and was harming you with his behavior?"

"Yes, in a way."

"There is a protective function that makes sure the android switches off if it thinks it poses a potential danger to a human," Elijah explained.

"What? But it wasn't that bad after all," Gavin expressed with shock. That was new for him.

"You told him that he had hurt you and frightened you. So he reacted."

"And how do I reactivate it?"

"You don't. It's a requirement that an Android is reset in such a case and that it is examined by support. Even if you reset it now, it won't start."

"What do I do now?"

"Either do what I just told you or get a new one if you don't feel like doing it."

"A new one?" Gavin asked incredulously and looked over at Nines.

Elijah was silent.

"But it was just a misunderstanding," Gavin objected.

"Can't you do something...?" he wanted to ask Elijah for help. He had created the androids, he could safely pass over that.

"I have no ...," Elijah wanted to refuse.

"I'll bring him to you, so you won't have to come here," Gavin threw in, and Elijah laughed softly.

"How are you going to get him out of there?" he asked.

"I'll find a way," Gavin did not let go.

"Can you wait till later?" Elijah asked so Gavin held his breath in surprise.

"I have an appointment in the area late in the evening. I can stop by for a moment. But only if it's quick. And don't tell the others. I'm only doing this because you're Ethan's brother. I don't want everyone bothering me with their android problems. That's what support is for."

"I'm sorry," Gavin said.

"Actually, Ethan could do that as well, but he's in one of our overseas branches right now."

"I can still drop him off at your place..." Gavin tried to meet him halfway.

"See you later," Elijah simply interrupted him and hung up.

Gavin sat motionless for a while and looked thoughtfully over at the lifeless android. Several minutes passed before he finally stood up and walked towards Nines with the blanket in his hand. He put it around the android's shoulders, just like Nines had done with him. He knew that androids do not freeze, but he did it anyway.


	15. No matter what

"How the hell did you manage that?" Elijah asked as he slowly circled the android standing motionless in the middle of Gavin's room.

Gavin remained silent, concerned, and gave him a repentant look.

"Even if you lied, you must have been very convincing when you told him that he was scaring or hurting you," Elijah said in a skeptical tone and turned to Gavin with a frown.

"I ... must have managed to overwhelm even an android," Gavin replied insecurely, putting on a fake smile.

Elijah seemed to notice this. "Let's face it. An android doesn't shut down that quickly, let alone a model that is intended to be a bodyguard. This model has a much higher tolerance threshold. What have you done?"

"I already told you on the phone."

"Did he show any deviations before?" Elijah suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?" Gavin answered, startled.

"Maybe you weren't the trigger but a deviation from his protocol. When there is a high accumulation of program errors, androids also have instructions to shut down. Did he act in any way odd?"

"I do not know. Should he not have held me?"

"If you harm yourself, he may act against your will in a limited way," Elijah explained while he examined the android. "Now tell me the truth. What happened, and what did you do that he thought could harm you?" he asked in a sharp tone, and Gavin slowly began to regret asking him for help.

"As I said, I went a little nuts."

"Like you did at your birthday party?"

"I, uh..."

"Are you okay? You seem to go off the deep end quite often," Elijah interrupted him as his gaze wandered over to the TV. The break in the display spoke volumes.

"What did your parents said about this?"

"Nothing, I didn't talk to them."

"Why not?"

"Why do you ask me that? You're not here because of me, but because of my android," Gavin countered as he became a bit annoyed.

"Of course I'm here for you. It's your android. What do I care about the fate of a lifeless pile of technology? It was you who asked me to reactivate it."

"You've been talking to my brother about me, haven't you?" Gavin asked as he suddenly understood.

Elijah hesitated a moment before nodding. "Ethan is worried about you," he finally said.

"I didn't ask him to do that."

"Gavin, your whole demeanor literally begs to be worried about you. I'm already catching myself doing that," Elijah admonished him, which made Gavin grind his teeth furiously.

Elijah gave a loud sigh. "I owe your brother a favor, and you are somehow that favor."

"I didn't ask you for that either."

"Obviously you did, or I wouldn't be here."

"I thought you were here because we get along," Gavin expressed his disappointment.

"Don't get me wrong, I like you, despite, or perhaps because of, your high-spirited nature. You're kind of the exact opposite of Ethan, and at the same time, you two are more alike than you think."

"You seem to be really good friends," Gavin muttered skeptically.

Elijah didn't answer him, just stood there thoughtfully.

"Now, let's get to what I'm actually here for. I don't have much time," Elijah broke the silence and put his laptop on Gavin's desk.

"Why do you really want him to keep his memory? He hasn't been with you that long," he asked as he pulled out the chair and sat down at the table.

"He has gotten used to me," Gavin replied uncertainly, and Elijah laughed softly.

"That's why he turned off," he mocked.

Gavin was silent.

"You shouldn't get too attached to an android. They're just machines, nothing more. Their memories are just stored data, too," Elijah explained as he entered something on his laptop.

"Doesn't your company even advertise the fact that you could even have a relationship with them and that this would replace a relationship with a human?

"Yes, this appeals to a large target group, but as I said, they are still no more than machines. I know it, I created them," Elijah countered.

"By the way, your brother was involved in this model here," he said and looked over at Nines.

"As an intern?" Gavin asked skeptically.

"Yes, he's a real natural. I'm planning to include him on my team," Elijah said almost casually before turning to Gavin, putting his finger on his own lips.

"But don't tell him. It's not official yet," he said with a slight smile turning back to the laptop.

"Okay," Gavin didn't know what to think or say about it and looked thoughtfully over at Nines. Is Ethan really supposed to have helped develop this android?

"So," Elijah tore him out of his thoughts by suddenly appearing next to him as if from nowhere.

"This one deactivates the protective function. If you use this, you'll be able to start it," he explained, handing Gavin a kind of adapter. Gavin looked up at him questioningly, and Elijah tapped his neck to show him where the adapter could be connected.

"Why does a bodyguard even have this protective function? If he's not allowed to harm another human being and switches off, he couldn't protect me in an emergency," Gavin asked to get the answer to a question that had been buzzing around in his head for the last few hours.

"As I said, he has an increased tolerance for that. He follows the established laws of robotics, but that applies primarily only to his owner. We have loosened the Zeroth Law, in particular, a little. He is allowed to harm other people if they endanger or directly attack you through their actions. But this is the last resort. He will, if possible, always prefer the non-violent variant first. If necessary, he would even sacrifice himself to avoid such a thing and to fulfill his task. If you put him on a whim and set him on someone, it would not work."

"Sacrifice himself?" Gavin emphasized.

"Yes, after all, he is only a machine," Elijah repeated his previous warning.

Thoughtfully, Gavin looked down at the adapter in his hand, which looked as if it was the earpiece of a headset. "And this cancels out these protective functions?" he murmured.

"Yes, which is why, as soon as he booted up, we have to reactivate the function. It prevents him from starting, but when it is reactivated afterward, everything is back to the way it was before," Elijah explained, while Gavin hesitantly approached Nines.

From the forum posts and instructions Gavin had searched, he already knew how to do it. He held the adapter close to Nines' neck so that the skin in his neck gave way to a white surface and the corresponding connections became visible.

He paused briefly as Elijah's words went through his mind again at this sight before he placed the device around Nines' neck like a collar.

_Access via hardware module - interface 001 requested._  
_Authentication required._  
_Authentication successful._  
_Administrator privileges granted._  
_Security measures successfully disabled._  
_Terminate session._  
_Initiate start._

In front of his inner eye, Nines suddenly saw the feedback of his boot sequence. When his visual module started, he opened his eyes and looked around, irritated. The first thing he saw was Gavin standing in front of him with big eyes and saying something, but Nines didn't understand. His audio module was not ready. Suddenly the boy stepped up to him and put his arms around him. Nines could feel the warmth of the boy as the corresponding sensors activated.

"Don't you ever do that shit again, you understand me?" he finally heard Gavin's soft murmur as the audio module finally started. Since his voice module was still waiting, he simply replied to Gavin's hug instead. Gavin's pulse quickened with his touch, but this time it didn't disturb him.

Nines raised his head after he heard a faint throat-clearing. He frowned as he saw Elijah Kamski standing beside Gavin's desk.

"I hate to interrupt your heartrending reunion, but I don't have much time left," Elijah said and stepped up to them.

Gavin broke away from Nines and looked over at him with an embarrassed look.

"Give me that," Elijah demanded with an outstretched hand as he stood in front of the android.

Nines grabbed his own neck and removed the adapter to hand it to Elijah. While Elijah returned to his laptop and made a few entries, his cell phone suddenly rang. He gave them a short signal to wait and took the call.

"Yes, I told you I'd be at the office around ten," he said after listening to what the caller had to tell him. Again he listened to the conversation as he stepped quickly out of the room.

Nines took the opportunity to whisper to Gavin.

"What is he doing here?" he asked.

"I have asked him for help. I would have had to reset you if he wouldn't help me."

"I am not aware that Elijah Kamski makes private house calls for android problems. That's what support is for," Nines replied skeptically.

"Why did you switch off anyway? You scared the hell out of me," Gavin said reproachfully, bypassing the question.

"I attacked you. You told me I was scaring you, that I was going to hurt you and be a burden. Combined with a not inconsiderable amount of malfunctioning of which you are not entirely innocent, this triggered my protective function," Nines explained with audible reproach in his voice. He paused in amazement when he noticed this himself. Gavin didn't seem to miss it either, because he looked at him with a questioning look. He opened his mouth to answer something, but then Elijah came back.

"Sorry, that was important," he said and walked straight to the laptop.

"I have to go right away, so I'll save the big explanations," he murmured as he plugged in the adapter and made a few entries.

He removed it again after a short moment and went towards Nines to hand him the device. Nines placed it wordlessly around his neck and noticed that Gavin was curiously looking at him.

"Isn't that dangerous when you can deactivate this function so easily?" he asked.

"Only our admins can do that. It is not intended for consumers. Not even our support can do it. In the event of such problems, they reinstall the operating system instead of deactivating the function. It would be too risky to give everyone this permission because, without it, an Android would have almost free will."

_Access via hardware module - interface 001 requested. Authentication required._  
_Authentication successful._  
_Administrator privileges granted._  
_Syntax error. Repeat input._  
_Syntax error. Repeat input._  
_Syntax error. Finish input._  
_No change made._  
_End session._

Silently, Nines followed the conversation of the two young men before opening his mouth to say something. Irritated, he closed it again when Elijah reached for the adapter and took it off his neck.

"I have to go," Elijah said, without assuring himself that he reallly deactivated the protection. If he had asked, Nines would probably have answered him honestly, but since he didn't ask, Nines decided to remain silent and watched Elijah pack up his laptop.

"Uhm, thanks, Elijah. Can I get you..." Gavin walked up to him.

"We write, Gav. I'll find myself out," Elijah interrupted him and disappeared from the room. Gavin looked after him and seemed to think for a moment if he should follow him, but instead, he turned around and gave Nines a nasty look.

Nines' pain receptors responded, and he involuntarily flinched when Gavin suddenly punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow," he complained, even though he knew the pain was not real.

"Never do that again, or next time I'll throw you in the garbage," Gavin growled before suddenly falling around Nines' neck. The android's eyes widened in surprise as the boy buried his face on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Nines asked anxiously, whereupon he felt Gavin shaking his head.

"Can I help you in any way?" he tried again, but the boy was silent and pressed himself even closer to him. When he understood that Gavin did not want to talk, he silently returned his embrace. A smile fell on his face as he realized that Gavin had hugged him for the first time on his own today. He didn't know why, but somehow it was a nice feeling.

"I won't let you down again, I promise," he whispered, secretly thanking Elijah for having given him the opportunity, without knowing it, to keep that promise no matter what else will happen.


	16. I won't let you down

Gavin gave a heavy sigh and poked around in his food while sitting at the kitchen table, watching the android wander through the kitchen, noisily cleaning up the mess he had just left behind. When Nines heard the sigh, he turned around and frowned.

"Doesn't it taste good?"

"Yes, I think it does. I'm just not hungry," Gavin mumbled, depressed, and continued poking at the plate.

"Hadn't you actually made casserole?" he added skeptically as this afternoon came to his mind again.

"Um, well, that... just forget it," Nines sounded a bit uncertain, and Gavin pulled his eyebrows together suspiciously.

"You really should eat something. Knowing you, you haven't had anything right yet," Nines admonished him in a worried tone as he approached Gavin and sat down at the table opposite him.

"I picked up something at the baker's this afternoon," Gavin countered.

"And that was?"

"A nougat bar," Gavin admitted with an evasive look.

"And what else?"

"Nothing."

"So I was right," Nines softly sighed, whereupon Gavin abruptly took some of the noodles on his fork and pushed them into his mouth. Demonstratively, he chewed on them while looking the android straight in the eyes. The android's lips curled up into a satisfied smile.

"Are androids capable of eating?" Gavin finally asked to break the sudden silence.

"To a certain extent, yes, I can taste the food while cooking, for example. But I can't process larger quantities, the way you humans eat them," the android explained unflinchingly.

"Hm," Gavin hummed with a full mouth before he noisily swallowed the food.

"May I ask you something, Gavin?" it was now the android who asked the questions.

Somewhat surprised by the severe tone of Nines' voice, Gavin paused in his movement before hesitantly nodding and shoving some more noodles into his mouth. They tasted delicious.

"Why did you first say that you needed me and that I shouldn't switch off, only to tell me the exact opposite shortly afterward? What did I do wrong that made you change your mind?" Nines asked so directly that Gavin got a noodle stuck in his throat.

Nines' eyes widened in horror, and he was about to jump up to help him when the boy stopped him with his outstretched hand.

"No, stay seated," Gavin croaked before he cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Fuck," he cursed so loud that Nines gave him an irritated look.

"Everything okay?"

"Why do you have to ask me that now of all times?", Gavin reacted somewhat displeased to Nines' worried question.

"Are you okay?

"No, the other thing."

"I'm sorry, we were just sitting together, and I wanted to..." Nines started to explain but interrupted himself when he noticed how Gavin avoided his gaze again.

"If you don't want to answer me, then I - I just wanted to know why, so I could do better in the future," Nines murmured remorsefully.

Tense, Gavin stared at the table.

Why did this android always have to be so direct? Why couldn't he just let it go when he already knew it was an unpleasant subject?

Involuntarily, Gavin flinched when he suddenly noticed a touch on his hand. His first reflex was to pull his hand away, but he faltered at the last second. This reaction would only have triggered more unpleasant questions. As if hypnotized, he stared down at the hand Nines held in his and realized once again how damn human the android's hand felt. Why did Cyberlife have to make a robot that was supposed to be a simple help so lifelike? Why had Elijah given them the ability to imitate a human so authentically? Why did he have to make them so attractive as well? Couldn't it just be an ugly android?

He felt his cheeks start to glow when Nines began to stroke his hand with his finger. Irritated, Gavin pulled his hand away.

"Why are you doing this?" Gavin growled.

"What do you mean?" the android played dumb.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"No, I try to understand you, but I don't always succeed."

"Stop touching me. Stop making me offers like yesterday. Stop making passes at me."

"I just wanted to reassure you. I thought - because of earlier - that this would help you", Nines replied insecurely.

"Just don't do anything, please. Do what you are supposed to do and stop trying to do me any favors beyond that."

"You said that before."

"Then do as I said!"

"Why?" Nines asked so directly that Gavin faltered for a moment.

"What?"

"Why wouldn't I want to do you any good? It's my job to make sure you're all right, and that includes making sure I..."

"Leave it. I'm relieving you of this task," Gavin interrupted him and stood up from his seat, intending to turn away from the android and leave the kitchen.

"But I want you to be well," Nines said so convincing that Gavin paused in the middle of his movement and looked at the android with a sinister look.

"You don't have a will of your own. You're doing all this just because your programming tells you to. You are neither human nor are you able to feel or want anything."

"And what if you're wrong?" Nines countered before he also stood up from his seat and bent over to Gavin so far that he could feel the android's artificial breath on his cheek.

"What if it wasn't just my job, but my need to do something good for you? What if I really like you?" Nines seemed to ask this question more to himself.

"What the hell? Is this some kind of seduction program?" Gavin growled uncertainly, at which point Nines blinked irritatedly.

"No, I ... don't know. I don't have anything like that," he answered, confused.

"What's wrong with you all of a sudden? Since last night, you've been turning the wheel," Gavin confronted the android.

"I'm happy to return the compliment, Gav," Nines countered in a provocative tone before his eyes widened, and he shook his head.

Gavin stared at him, speechlessly.

"Sorry, I ... that must be from the restart," Nines muttered.

"I don't think so," Gavin wanted to contradict.

"But that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't constantly tried to deny yourself and always go to the ceiling like that," Nines interrupted him in an accusatory tone.

"Are you finished now?" Gavin reacted more offended than confused.

"No, but ... I mean, no. I just don't understand why you're making your life so hard on yourself."

"I just..."

"Why did you bring this girl here when you knew how this would end? Who were you trying to prove something to? Yourself? Or even me?"

"I wanted to..."

"Why did you forgive this Lydia and even invite her to your party when you almost had drowned because of her?"

"I wanted to give her a second chance..."

"No, that's bullshit, you're just naive," Nines almost screamed to him.

"And so lonely," he added more quietly as he stared at Gavin with a sad look.

"I... I just wanted...," Gavin stuttered insecurely.

"You're so anxious to be accepted by others that you're always getting yourself into trouble. You even deny yourself to be reputable to your family."

"But my father - me - Huh? - Wait! - Did you just say 'bullshit'?" Gavin changed the subject in mid-sentence.

"I promised you that I would protect you from your father, no matter what," Nines did not allow himself to be distracted.

"You can't, you can't be everywhere, he... even if you can, he'll just let you switch off and I..."

"I will not let him do this. I will only switch off if you wish it," Nines interrupted him resolutely.

Gavin looked at him with big eyes and involuntarily took a step back as Nines continued to lean towards him.

Why was the android suddenly so different? It wasn't the first time Nines criticized him, but this time it was different. It was the first time he did it so openly and without any restraint. No, this was not the first time. He had been like this before. Would it all happen again now?

Tense, Gavin bit his lips. The android's behavior could not be normal. It wasn't right that he had to be admonished by his android for the second time now. That he even had to justify himself to him so that he would leave him alone. That could not be true. Was this perhaps one of those deviations Elijah had mentioned?

Overwhelmed by the situation, Gavin took another step back before he turned around in a sudden flight instinct on his heel and left the kitchen straight away.

"Gavin?" he heard the android ask in surprise, but Gavin didn't react and already walked down the aisle without turning around again. He had already reached the lobby and climbed the stairs when Nines caught up with him and grabbed his hand without warning. Startled, Gavin turned around and snatched his hand from him. However, the momentum caused Gavin to stumble. As he tried to catch himself again, his foot suddenly slipped off the step, causing him to tip backward unchecked. He could still feel the android wrapping an arm around him, so Gavin instinctively clung to the android, but this also threw Nines off balance. Even before Gavin could even grasp the situation, it tore him completely off his feet. He closed his eyes and only heard a loud rumble as they fell down the stairs together.

He felt the impact, but when the expected pain didn't come, he opened his eyes abruptly. The first thing he saw was Nines lying on the floor next to him with his eyes closed. Gavin pushed the arm of the android lying on top of him aside and sat up in irritation.

When Nines still did not move, Gavin bent down to him with a worried expression.

"Nines?" he asked in a shaky voice and cringed when the android suddenly opened his eyes.

Gavin watched his android slowly sit up with an incredulous look before his eyes widened as he noticed the heavily bleeding laceration on Nines' left forehead. Nines grabbed his forehead with a soft groan, as if he was in real pain, smearing blood all over the left side of his face, while new blood was already seeping from the wound and dripping down onto his clothes.

"Nines, I'm sorry," Gavin whispered in horror as the two's eyes met.

"Are you hurt?" the android asked unexpectedly.

"No, I suppose?" muttered Gavin irritatedly.

"I tried to hold you, but I don't know if I ..."

"Damn it. You better ask yourself that," Gavin interrupted him angrily.

"What...?"

"You're bleeding. You're hurt," Gavin replied.

"It's only superficial damage. It can be repaired with the repair kit and some Thirium," Nines began to explain but then interrupted himself as Gavin stood up and reached out his hand.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

Nines nodded and got up from the floor, ignoring Gavin's hand.  "I'll take care of this myself. It was my fault. You're really not hurt?" he said and distanced himself as Gavin gave him a worried look. The boy shook his head.

"All right," Nines mumbled, turning away from Gavin without further explanation and wanting to disappear to God knows where, but Gavin grabbed his hand and held him back.

"I'll do it. It was my fault," Gavin insisted that he was helping the android. The android had tried to protect him during the fall, and it had been Gavin's fault that they fell in the first place.

"You don't have to. It'll go faster if I do this. Besides, my presence seems to make you quite uncomfortable," Nines almost sounded offended, but Gavin ignored the reproach in his voice and only strengthened his grip.

"That's an order," he uttered before he dragged Nines up the stairs with a jerk.

Nines watched the boy study the instructions for the repair kit with a skeptical look as they sat across from each other on the bed in Gavin's room.

"Shouldn't I ...", Nines wanted to suggest that he should take care of it himself, but Gavin shook his head vigorously.

Nines considered the boy's stubbornness with a sigh but denied himself another comment. He didn't want the boy to get upset again over something so trivial that the next catastrophe happened. After all, Gavin seemed to really regret his actions from just now and wanted to make up for the incident by trying to repair the damage he had done, even if it meant that it would only take longer. At such moments, Nines was glad not to feel any real pain.

Surprised, Nines held his breath when Gavin's face suddenly appeared right in front of his nose without warning. The boy had unexpectedly stood up and bent towards the android without hesitation.

"I can handle it. You just have to hold still," he murmured as he raised his hand and began to clean the laceration on Nine's forehead with a sponge. Nines did as he was told and listened to Gavin's shallow breathing as he almost gently applied the remedy from the repair kit.

"I have to clean the area with this stuff first, don't I?" he reassured himself quite late if he was really doing the right thing, but Nines kept his mouth shut and just nodded. He didn't want to ruin this rare, quiet moment with a thoughtless remark, and he knew that the boy had nothing bad in mind at that moment. It was so rare that Gavin was so calm and focused on one thing, and Nines caught himself enjoying that moment despite the events that had led up to it. He couldn't stop an involuntary blink as Gavin moved closer to him as he worked, apparently to see better. Surprised at his reaction to Gavin's proximity, Nines unconsciously pulled his eyebrows together.

"Did I hurt you?" Gavin sounded honestly worried and interrupted his action to pattern Nines attentively. He seemed really worried.

"Um, no, I was just thinking about something else for a moment," Nines answered, reserved, and scratched his head.

What was that? Why was he suddenly so restless? This was not the first time the boy was so close to him. And even if it was, this should not worry him in any way.

"Androids can drift with the thoughts?" Gavin didn't quite buy that explanation. The boy might seem thoughtless and naive at times, but that didn't automatically make it easier to fool him.

"Uh, yes?" Nines' answer, therefore, resembled more a question.

Now it was Gavin who frowned. "Are you afraid I might do something wrong?"

"No, it's okay... you're doing fine," the android's answer sounded as if he was talking to a child.

"Well, the instructions said not to wait too long," Gavin turned his attention back to the repair kit lying on the bed next to him. He held on to Nines' shoulder with his hand as he bent back and grabbed it.

"I'll just have to apply this to the wound, just like the stuff before, won't I?" he assured himself again, looking down at the small can in his hand that contained some kind of paste.

"Didn't you just read the instructions?" Nines slipped out a thoughtless comment after all. Annoyed, he bit his lips as he realized his cynicism. What was wrong with him today?

"Yes, but I don't want to do anything wrong," Gavin replied, surprisingly calm, against his expectations so that Nines breathed a sigh of relief.

"After all, I'm always doing something wrong," Gavin added in such a depressed tone that Nines immediately felt a sting in his heart.

"That's not true, and you know it," he contradicted so loudly that Gavin flinched in shock so heavily that the can fell out of his hand.

"You're just overstrained - with yourself and with your environment. It's not all your fault, and you're not doing everything wrong," it gushed out of the android.

"It was so bad, though, that you even had to shut down because of me," Gavin said before he looked up and at the wound on Nines' forehead, "and that only happened because ..."

"Yes, damn it, you made mistakes. But you realized them, and you have always tried to make them right. Nobody is perfect. People are allowed to make mistakes. Even I make mistakes, Gav."

"No, you're perfect, and I'm just... a burden, even for an android," Gavin quietly contradicted as he looked to the side.

Nines raised his hand and put it on the boy's shoulder to turn him around. To his surprise, Gavin allowed this to happen without resistance.

"Stop saying things like that. You're just dragging yourself down with it. You're not a burden."

"My family thinks so," Gavin tried to disagree, but his voice broke.

"No one who actually tried to get to know you thinks that about you. Margaret and Bruce have made that effort, and they love you. And I also understand that you just need someone to give you the attention you deserve. The attention and respect that your family constantly denies you just because you're not who they want you to be in their eyes. I was wrong. You don't have to be the person they want. On the contrary, you just need people around you who accept who you really are and love you as you are. And I don't mean your sexual orientation, but you - as a human being."

"Nines..." was the only thing Gavin came up with while looking at the android with big eyes.

"You don't even believe it yourself anymore when people tell you that they like you," Nines continued calmly, as he bent over to Gavin and looked him straight in the eye, "and you're desperately looking for reasons not to. If you don't find them, you'll even do anything to reverse everything to the contrary. But that doesn't work for me, Gavin. You can do whatever you want. I know you too well now. I know who you are, and you're not gonna be able to make me let you down now."

Gavin gave him a sad look as Nines spoke all these words. But after Nines ended his speech, his sadness slowly gave way to a barely noticeable smile. Nines gave him a questioning look as the boy just stayed quiet and stared at him for a while. He was about to ask if he said something wrong, but he closed his mouth in surprise as Gavin suddenly came closer to him. The last thing he realized was Gavin closing his eyes before he suddenly felt the boy's warm lips on his own.


	17. Affection

At first, Nines' processors could not grasp the situation when he suddenly felt Gavin's lips on his own, so that he was reluctant to kiss the boy back. Gavin seemed to notice this and wanted to get away from him, but then the android finally understood what all this meant. He reached out for Gavin and stopped him immediately by putting his hand on the boy's neck and pulling him back to himself with gentle force. Gavin seemed to struggle for a split second before changing his mind and wrapping his arms around the android's neck. The boy's stormy kiss and impetuous nature quickly infected Nines and caused a feeling he had never experienced before. He knew that people kiss when they found each other attractive. It gave them a kind of happiness when they got closer in that way, but he hadn't guessed that it would be so intense. For a brief moment, he wondered if it wasn't just his programming that made him believe all this to give the person who gave him his affection a realistic experience. Still, he rejected the idea and leaned so far towards Gavin that the boy inevitably let his back sink to the bed.

As if in ecstasy, he leaned over him and gave him a long, greedy kiss while he ran his hand under Gavin's shirt and pushed it up. He could sense the scent of vanilla as he kissed the boy's neck. Under his soft sigh he sank further down and began to kiss Gavin's chest, but when he reached his belly, he felt the boy cramp up suddenly.

"Stop, I...," Nines heard Gavin's shaky voice, so he looked up at him with a questioning look.

"This is going too fast... I...," the boy stuttered as he moved away from Nines and sat up.

"Your wound, we have to finish that first," Gavin obviously tried to distract.

"We have to repeat the application anyway," Nines objected.

"Yes, but ...," Gavin tried to counter and demonstratively looked around before bending over the edge of the bed to pick up the lost can from the floor. As he tipped a little too far forward, Nines instinctively grabbed his waistband. That seemed to frighten the boy so much that he tore himself loose and fell headfirst from the bed.

"What is this thing between you and that carpet?" Nines started to mock after he took a quick look to make sure Gavin wasn't hurt.

"If it weren't for you stupid tin can, none of this would happen," the boy cursed to himself as he tried to straighten up again.

There it was again. That was the moment when Gavin hit the ceiling once again, and the friendly, calm demeanor gave way to hostile and quick-tempered behavior. In a moment, he would storm out of the room again in a rage and curl up in the bathroom knowing that Nines wouldn't follow him there without a vitally important reason.

Surprised, he raised his eyebrows as Gavin sat back on the bed and picked up the repair kit's first component.

"What?" the boy asked. "I can't let you walk around with a scratch like that."

"I could do that my-" Nines wanted to interfere.

"Let me do it and shut up," Gavin interrupted him with a dismissive growl.

Nines did as he was told and sat there in silence, watching Gavin apply the cleanser first and then add the paste without further hesitation.

"So," the boy muttered, while after a short time, he moved away and looked at his work.

Unconsciously, Nines turned away from him.

"Stop turning away. I have to see if it works," he heard Gavin's admonishing voice before he felt the boy's hand on his chin, forcing him to turn back to him.

"Didn't you say you could heal yourself with Thirium alone?" Gavin surprised him with a curious question as he continued to examine the android extensively.

"That would take too long with larger wounds, but it would be possible," Nines explained, grabbing himself by the forehead. "This only helps to close the wounds as quickly as possible. Although the healing process is faster in our case, the wound would still be visible for a day or two. For a human being, it would probably take much more than a week," he continued while Gavin gave him a skeptical look.

Suddenly the boy's eyes widened. "It's gone," he noted with such astonishment that Nines had to smile involuntarily.

"Gavin, we should talk about what just happened," he quickly changed the subject.

"What do you mean?" the boy played dumb.

"You know what I mean."

"I... I've forgotten something that I just remembered ... I have to leave," Gavin muttered in a shaky voice as he stood up in a frantic movement.

"Gavin," Nines admonished him.

"I... just get this stuff out of here..."

"Gavin, you stay here," Nines became louder as he stood up to hold him back. "You can't always run away from everything," he said, getting in the way of Gavin.

The boy tried to go around him, but the android repeatedly got in his way.

"Let me..."

"No."

"I just want..."

"You stay here."

"I order you to stay out of my way!", the boy hissed.

"I don't care!", Nines countered.

At those words, they both stopped.

"You..." Gavin wanted to say something back, but he couldn't say more than one word.

"I wanted...", Nines was equally perplexed.

"Is this one of those deviations?" Gavin suddenly asked.

"What?"

"Elijah said that androids could make mistakes. He called them deviations," Gavin explained with big eyes.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You just refused my order. Just like this afternoon."

"Uh, you ..."

"Please don't turn yourself off again!"

"I wasn't planning on..."

"I'm not afraid of you, look here," the boy interrupted him again and took Nines' hand.

"What makes you think that?", Nines reacted irritated.

"I... don't know..." Gavin seemed to recognize the absurdity of his words himself.

"Is everything okay with you?", Nines asked anxiously, but Gavin didn't answer him.  "I think we've all had a bit much today, don't you?", he tried again.

Gavin was silent, still holding the hand of the android.

Without thinking much about it, Nines took a step towards the boy and put his arm around the boy's shoulders to press him against himself. Gavin did not resist, burying his face on Nines' shoulder.

"You should go to sleep first. We'll talk more tomorrow, okay?"

He felt the boy nod slightly at his shoulder.

"Should I go and leave you alone?"

Gavin just shook his head.

Unwillingly, Gavin ran his hand across his face as the sun's rays, falling through one of the large windows into his room, tickled his nose. He sneezed softly and opened his eyes with an annoyed humming, intending to get up and close the curtains. But even before he could stand up, he discovered the android lying on the bed next to him with his eyes closed.

For a second, Gavin had to think about how he got there before yesterday's events slowly reached his tired mind.

"Fuck," was the first thing that came to his mind before he slowly organized his thoughts and calmed down a bit. Thoughtfully, he looked into the android's face while he was still sleeping. It was fascinating that people had even thought of putting the android into a sleep-like state when its help was not needed. Gavin stretched out his hand and placed it on Nines' chest. Even the android's breath continued to be simulated in this state as if he were a human and would actually just sleep. Gavin's hand loosened and stroked through Nines' brown hair instead. It felt so real. And so soft. He caught himself repeatedly stroking Nines' hair and wanted to pull his hand back, but against his will, he gently caressed the android's cheek. Even before he realized what he was doing, his lips approached those of Nines. But before they met, there was a knock at the door.

Gavin detached himself from the android and sat up in horror, looking at the door with eyes wide open.

"Gavin, are you awake? We're back again. I made you breakfast. Will you come down then?" he heard the voice of the housekeeper through the door.

"Yeah, I'll just get dressed and be right down, okay?" Gavin replied as he climbed over the android. He casually noticed that now Nines had woken up as well, but before the android could say anything, Gavin dashed over to his closet and disappeared into it.

"Hey, there you finally are," Margaret commented on Gavin's arrival in the kitchen when it took him almost half an hour to finally leave his room.

While he had been still changing, Nines had left the room and gone downstairs to the kitchen to join Margaret. He sat calmly at the table and gave Gavin a mischievous smile as he sat down at the table with him.

"Nice to see you survived yesterday," Margaret mocked as she placed a plate of sandwiches in front of Gavin's nose. He barely noticed this as he was too busy looking skeptically at the android.

"Everything good between you two?" she seemed to notice his look.

"All's well. Gavin is certainly not quite awake yet," Nines simply took the floor.

"That's okay then," Margaret sounded a bit skeptical and looked at them closely.

"I had a friend visit yesterday, and it took a little longer," it was Gavin who commented.

"A girlfriend then? Have I seen her before? Will she come back?" Margaret became curious, but Gavin stayed silent.

"Have you seen her? Is she pretty?" she turned to Nines instead.

"Yes, she is," Nines replied, smiling, and Gavin gave him a reproachful look.

"She's very stubborn and a weirdo," Gavin said, not letting his gaze go by Nines.

"Weirdo? Is that some newfangled term?"

"He, uh... I mean... she sometimes behaves strangely," Gavin explained, looking back at Nines.

"Then you two fit perfectly to each other," Nines unexpectedly countered, and Gavin hissed in anger. Surprised, they turned to the housekeeper as she giggled softly.

"Where he's right," she said as she saw the boy's surprised face.

"It's good to see at least you're having fun," Gavin growled, and strenuously kept himself from getting up and leaving right away.

"Don't pull such an offended face. I'm happy for you," Margaret tried to calm him down while she approached him and tousled his hair with her hand.

"Hey, I just combed that."

"You call that combing? That looks the same chaotic as before," she mocked.

"It's trendy," Gavin countered.

"Running around like a mop?"

"What do you even know?"

"More than you, young man."

"Well, I like his hairstyle," Nines interfered in the conversation, whereupon the two paused and looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, because you run around the same way," she replied so that Nines instinctively ran his hand through his hair.

"What's wrong with it?" he asked, irritated.

"Nothing, she just has a taste that might have been trendy a hundred years ago," Gavin mocked.

"I'm not that old," she said in pretended anger.

"In the Dinosaur Age, people wore their hair differently," he said quietly as possible and gave Nines a wink, but Margaret heard this and gave him a small pat on the shoulder.

"Ouch, she's beating me," Gavin growled, although it didn't even hurt.

"In those days, we used to spank children when they didn't hear," she threatened him.

"You wouldn't have the heart to do that," Gavin countered, giving her a mischievous smile.

"I wouldn't rely on that."

"Nines will protect me, won't you, Nines?" he turned to the android.

"I don't think I stand a chance against her. I'm sorry, Gavin, I can't help you," Nines replied and raised his hands helplessly.

"What are you good for anyway?" Gavin said with a loud sigh and turned around in irritation when he heard the housekeeper's laughter.

"You heard it, boy," she said, still giggling as she turned away and returned to her work.

"I'm glad you're back, though," Gavin said, so quietly that it was barely audible, but Margaret turned to him and gave him a warm smile.


	18. I will protect you

Gavin sat at his desk in the workshop office, brooding and looking gloomy, while he only half-heartedly looked through the bills that were stacked on the table in front of him. He had been here since the early morning, trying to distract himself from the events of the past few days - and especially from Nines. But with every bill he picked up, his thoughts kept drifting away. Only when his colleague Denise crept up behind him and looked over his shoulders, he interrupted his brooding and looked up at her.

"You've miscounted that one, sweetheart," she said and pointed to one of the bills while leaning on his shoulder.

"These are spare parts for the warranty repairs. They go to a different cost unit so we can bill the manufacturer for them, you know?" she admonished him in a friendly tone.

"Sorry," Gavin muttered and took the invoice from the stack to process it again.

"I thought you were fit again," she said and sat down in the seat next to him before taking another bill from the stack.

"Gavin, this one is wrong, too. I thought I could leave you to it. What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know," Gavin replied uncertainly and ran his hand across his forehead.

"I'll recheck it in a moment. I'm sorry," he apologized when he saw her thoughtful look.

"What's wrong, Gav?" she asked again.

"It is... a bit stressful at home right now."

"Your parents are still away on business, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you miss them?

"Not really," he maintained the short answers.

"If I didn't know you could do better, I'd rip your ears off," she sighed as she reached for the entire stack.

"Go ahead to the store, I'll do that," she instructed him to work in the salesroom instead. A task that most employees preferred and which she was actually supposed to take on at that moment.

"But this is your ..."

"Please do as I say, Gav. I am still your superior," she did not allow any contradiction.

"Thank you," Gavin said, denying himself the comment that she was not his superior.

Under her worried gaze, he got up from the chair and, without further words, went into the salesroom.

Plagued by a guilty conscience, he immediately set about sorting the displays, stocking up, and cleaning the surfaces. At regular intervals, customers entered the store, which he advised as best as his abilities allowed. Others simply wanted to order a repair or pick up cars that had already been repaired, so he was busy enough with processing the orders and hardly had to worry about last night and the android anymore. So the hours passed by until the early evening came. Gavin was about to prepare everything for closing when suddenly two more people entered the store.

"Good evening, what can I do ..." he wanted to greet them politely, but then he paused when he saw the two big men. One of them had pulled his hood over his head, while the other had put on a cap. Both wore dark sunglasses that completely hid their eyes. Especially in autumn, this was an extraordinary sight. Apparently, the two men also spent a lot of time at the gym, and Gavin could literally see their muscles showing under their clothes.

"What can I do for you?" he recalled his courtesy as the men continued to look around the store.

"Does a certain Gavin Reed work here?" the guy with the cap suddenly turned directly to Gavin.

"Why?" Gavin asked, puzzled.

"I spoke to a Mr. Reed on the phone this week," the man explained.

Strained, Gavin tried hard to remember the phone calls he had made over the past few days, but he could not identify the man's voice to anyone.

"Could you please tell me your name? I make a lot of phone calls and..."

"So you're Gavin Reed?"

"Um, yeah, that's why I wanted to..."

Gavin could never finish the sentence because one of the men suddenly came rushing towards him, grabbing him by the collar, and pulled him down so hard that the boy's head hit on the counter. Confused by the shock and pain, Gavin tried to stand up while blood from a laceration to his head ran into his eyes. Then another hand grabbed him and tore him from his feet. The last thing he felt was a sharp, unexpected pain in his neck before everything around him became still and dark.

Somewhat lost, Nines stood in the workshop's parking lot with a plastic box in his hand and glanced hesitantly over to the store where Gavin was most likely currently lingering. The boy had simply left him on the property this morning, but Nines could no longer keep his feet still as the hours went by. He had wanted to help Margaret with the household, but she had refused to take his help and sent him here instead to bring Gavin some food and pick him up if necessary. He thought for a moment about whether he should really go over to Gavin, although the boy had explicitly told him to stay home. But then he gave himself a jolt and strolled over to the store. According to his information, the workshop and the store would close soon, and there was a good chance that Gavin would want to go home by then. Nines was still unsure if he should take the opportunity to talk to the boy about last night.

He thought about it intensely as he continued to walk toward the store, but then he suddenly stopped when he saw two conspicuously tall men coming out of the store. Nothing unusual in itself, but he unconsciously took a step to the side and hid behind one of the cars while he gave them a closer look. His eyes widened in horror when he realized that one of them was carrying something on his shoulder. Shocked, he dropped the food and looked tense at the man who had actually thrown the boy over his shoulder as if he were just a lifeless puppet. He was carrying Gavin toward a nearby car, and there was no doubt that the boy was in danger. Nines ran out from behind the car without thinking much about it and headed straight for the two men.

The guy who was about to put the boy in the car's back seat instinctively turned around and spotted the android coming towards them at high speed. He quickly gave a signal to his partner, who was just taking his place in the driver's seat. But Nines was faster and reached them precisely at the moment when the driver wanted to accelerate with squealing tires. At the last second, Nines ripped open the driver's door and dragged the man from his seat with all his strength so that he banged face-first on the asphalt and remained unconscious. Immediately Nines turned to the rear door to get to Gavin, but it was now locked. Without hesitating, he smashed the window with his elbow and managed to open the door with a flick of the wrist through the shattered window. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second man get into the driver's seat and try to start the car again.

With the presence of mind, Nines sat down next to Gavin and tried to grab the man from behind. He wrapped his arms around the man's neck and pressed him back against the driver's seat.

In his panic, the man grabbed Nines' arms as the android just squeezed harder, taking his breath away. Nines recognized that his actions were false, but he did not care anymore. He could not allow the boy to be abducted. It was his job to protect Gavin, no matter what means he had to use.

"Nines," he suddenly heard a faint voice that did not come from one of the men.

"Let him go, you're gonna kill him," he recognized Gavin's soft voice and turned to the boy. Gavin, still lying in the back seat, leaned heavily on his arm and looked up at Nines with a pleading look as the blood from his forehead and nose spread all over his face. Nines could literally see the pain from his distorted expression.

"They attacked you. They wanted to take you away," Nines angrily contradicted the order.

"Nines, please. If you kill him, they will kill you, too," Gavin said with audible exhaustion. "Do it for me, please..."

Nines looked down on the boy with big eyes, while the man in front of him hardly made a sound. When the android's gaze met Gavin's for a moment, he finally let go of the man so that he curled up in the driver's seat, coughing loudly.

Nines wanted to open his mouth to say something to Gavin, but the boy had already closed his eyes, collapsing.

"Gavin," Nines said in horror and raised his hand to touch the boy, but a loud scream stopped him.

"Hands up or I'll shoot," the voice of a man who suddenly stood right next to the car commanded. Nines could see the gun held by a man in a policeman's uniform out of the corner of his eye.

"Goddamn it, what's going on here? I'll call the ambulance," a second voice joined in, while Nines just stared down at Gavin.

"No, that's his android. He's protecting him," he heard another voice. This time it was a female voice. He raised his head and looked into the wide-open eyes of a young woman in a blue work suit who pushed herself between him and the policeman, preventing him from pointing the gun at him. But Nines couldn't care less. He only looked down at the boy with a sad look. He didn't care that a gun was pointed at him, and he didn't care what would happen to him because all that mattered to him was the boy. The reason for his existence. Just the boy and no one else.


	19. Distrust

While Hank was still running towards the car, he saw the android sitting behind the driver's seat and suffocating the man in front of him. Before he reached the vehicle, the android suddenly let go of the man and turned his attention to something next to him.

He immediately looked inside its open door as he arrived. In the back seat, right next to the android, was the boy the employee had called 911 about. She had said that two men had first beaten her temp, a young man in his late teens, and then carried him out of the store. There had been no mention of an android, however. Was he one of the alleged kidnappers? Hank saw the android raise his arm toward the boy, and his first reflex was to point the gun at him.

"Put your hands up, or I'll shoot!"

"Damn it, what the hell is going on here? Call the ambulance," he heard one of his colleagues say and saw him walking toward a second man who was apparently unconscious on the ground. Two other colleagues had taken care of the guy who had been sitting in the driver's seat and was now trying to free himself from their grip in a hopeless maneuver.

"No, that's his android. He's protecting him," a female voice suddenly joined in before a young woman squeezed in between him and his colleagues.

"That's Nines, his android. He told me about him. He's his bodyguard. Put the gun down, please," she yelled, causing Hank's ears to ring. He didn't take his eyes off the android, who sat frozen in the back seat, staring at him with his cold blue eyes.

Androids had never been a problem for Hank. It was not that he demonized them, but he wanted to have as little as possible to do with them. The fact that he had to get involved in such a case was probably thanks to his lieutenant, who had ordered him to patrol this week.

If only Hank had kept his mouth shut, he wouldn't have had to deal with something like this now.

Only with visible reluctance, Hank finally lowered his weapon and took careful steps toward the android, as if it were a wild animal.

"Nines was your name, wasn't it?" he asked him, more peacefully this time.

The android nodded silently and moved up to the boy.

"I'm a police officer. I'm just trying to help," Hank spoke to the android as if he were talking to a child.

"You can talk to me normally, Detective Anderson," the android began to speak so suddenly that Hank involuntarily flinched.

"How ...?"

"I can recognize your name as well as rank from your uniform," the android interrupted him in an irritated tone. "Your colleague doesn't need to call the ambulance anymore. I've already done that. They'll be here in a moment."

"May I still have a quick look at the boy?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to make sure that by the time the paramedics arrive, he won't be harmed any further."

"Be assured, I'm taking care of him as well as possible," the android declined in a sharp tone.

Hank was about to say something in reply, but then he heard the siren of the approaching ambulance. As the car came around the corner, Hank turned back to the android. He had already gotten out of the car and was about to lift the unconscious boy from the back seat. Paralyzed, Hank watched the android carrying the young man in his arms over to the ambulance without paying attention to any other.

Between all the darkness that enveloped Gavin, he felt the touch of a hand grabbing his arm and pulling him along. Someone lifted him up and carried him away. Suddenly he felt something hard against his back as the voices around him grew louder.

"What's the boy's name?"

"Gavin," he heard a familiar voice.

"Gavin, hey, can you hear me? Can you tell us where you're hurting?"

He heard the words, but he did not understand their meaning.

Slowly he opened his eyes and looked into two faces he didn't know.

A sudden panic seized him, and he tried to stand up, but strange hands held him.

"Gavin, hey, it's all right, I'm here. You'll be fine," Nines' face appeared out of nowhere right in front of his sight.

Gavin could hear his own rapid breathing before feeling a sharp pain in his head and grabbed his forehead with his hand. His breathing quickened as he lowered his hand again and saw all the blood on it.

"You're safe. You need to calm down," the android continued to speak.

"What ...?" Gavin tried to ask him what had happened, but his voice failed. Again he felt the touch of a strange hand on his arm and instinctively pulled it away.

"Gavin, they're just trying to help you," he heard Nines' voice as he felt the android's hand on his cheek.

Gavin closed his eyes and focused entirely on Nines' touch until his breathing calmed, and he finally allowed the paramedics to help.

A paramedics member, a young woman who introduced herself as Maria, asked him if he was in any other pain while she placed some sort of ruff around his neck.

He tried to answer, but the sharp pain on his lip stopped him. She seemed to notice this and asked him to just show her, but before he could answer her in any way, he felt his senses dwindle again.

The next thing he could remember was waking up in the hospital. It was dark, apparently in the middle of the night. He felt intense pain and was about to panic again, but then a blue glow entered his field of vision, and he recognized the android sitting in a chair at the edge of the room.

As if through a veil, he saw the android turn his head toward him and the blue glow at his temple changed to a bright yellow. Nines got up from his chair and walked toward him before sitting down on the edge of the bed and leaning down toward Gavin. Silently, he rested his forehead on Gavin's and grasped his hand.

Gavin closed his eyes and listened to his breathing for a moment before he felt Nines lower himself onto the bed beside him and put his arms around him. He snuggled up to the android and closed his eyes before fatigue overcame him, and he fell asleep in Nines' arms.

However, when he awoke again a few hours later, Nines was gone and sitting back in place with his eyes closed.

With a soft groan, Gavin straightened up in bed and looked thoughtfully over at the android. He wondered if he had dreamed the whole thing.

Nervously, he rubbed his arm as Nines awoke from stasis, and their eyes met for a moment. Gavin opened his mouth to say something but closed it again when the door suddenly opened.

Margaret came rushing through the door and fell around Gavin's neck so violently that everything spun around him.

"Margaret, please be a little more careful. He has a concussion," Nines admonished the housekeeper, causing her to recoil from the boy in shock.

"I'm sorry ..." she responded, somewhat perplexed.

"It's all right. Everything's still in place," Gavin reassured her, taking several deep breaths in and out to dispel the dizziness that had taken hold of him.

"How are you, my boy?" she asked, sitting down at the foot of the bed as she eyed him anxiously.

"All right," he answered truthfully.

"You look terrible. Are you in a lot of pain?" she asked, grasping his hand.

Gavin shook his head because, unlike yesterday and last night, he was actually feeling a little better. He released his hand from her grip and touched his lips, feeling the scab already forming on them. Automatically, his other hand traveled up to his head before registering the rough surface of a thick bandage.

He noticed Margaret eyeing him with a sad look as he did so.

"I'm much better. These are just scratches," he lied, but she wasn't buying his words.

"Oh, Gavin, why do you always get into such trouble?" she said, shaking her head.

"It's not my fault," he growled back, to which she gave him a startled look.

"Sorry," he said, noticing his own tone.

Again she looked at him with that sad look. It was driving him crazy. Like it was his fault that apparently half the world wanted to punch him in the face. And he didn't even know why. He had never seen the two guys before. The fact that they had asked for his name first even confirmed his assumption. So who had they been? He didn't believe that Lydia had hired them. Not even she was capable of that. Besides, after their last actions, suspicion would fall on her first anyway. She would be just plain stupid if she acted that way.

Further engrossed in his musings, Gavin didn't even notice at first how another person stepped into the room. It wasn't until the man stopped next to him and began to speak that Gavin lifted his head, recognizing a police officer's uniform.

"Hello Gavin, I hope you are feeling a little better. I'm Detective Anderson, and I'd like to ask you a few questions about yesterday's incident," the man explained as Gavin just sat there staring at him with wide eyes.

A soft sigh escaped Hank as he looked over at the boy sitting in a swivel chair at the other end of his desk. Listlessly, Gavin stared into space as he shoved himself up on the floor with one foot, slowly spinning in circles along with the chair.

"Gavin, this is official testimony. You didn't want to talk to me at the hospital, so now you have to go through this so we can help you. I didn't want to drag you all the way into the interrogation room, but even though we're just sitting here at my seat, you still have to take this seriously."

"I do take it seriously," the boy said defiantly before turning his attention to a group of colleagues who were talking animatedly in the precinct's break room.

"Can you guys be a little quieter over there? I'm trying to work here!" Hank yelled over to them, annoyed, before noticing Gavin's frown. With an embarrassed clearing of his throat, he turned back to the boy.

"Sorry. Let's get back to what you're here for," he tried to get back to the topic at hand, but Gavin's mind was already elsewhere, looking over at one of the new police androids, a prototype they were currently testing. Fortunately, not one of Hank's jobs.

He snapped his fingers to get Gavin's attention back.

"Listen, kid, the sooner we get through this, the sooner you can go home. But to do that, I need you to give me your full attention right now. Deal?"

"Gavin."

"Huh?"

"My name is Gavin, and not 'kid'."

"Okay, Gavin then, can I ask you a few questions now?"

The boy nodded, unmotivated.

"Well, first of all, how are you?"

Somewhat perplexed by the question, Gavin looked at him with wide eyes. It was still abundantly clear to see the deep gash on his forehead, covered with some sort of transparent band-aid, as well as the laceration that adorned his upper lip. Together with the scar on his nose, which Hank knew from the reports was not from the recent incident, the boy's condition looked frightening at first glance. But then, seeing how he behaved and moved, one realized that the boy could definitely take a beating. He didn't even seem to be really unsettled by the incident.

Except for a somewhat defiant and disinterested manner that most teenagers probably displayed, he seemed quite composed despite being put through the wringer like that.

"Not so good. Been better," Gavin finally replied with a low grumble, to which Hank eyed him with mild concern.

"Well, I'll try to keep this short. Do you have any suspicions about what those two men wanted from you?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask them?"

"We did."

"Let me guess: It has something to do with my father?"

Hank gave Gavin a surprised look. "Yes, it does, according to their statement."

"It's always because of my father," the boy expressed himself somewhat cryptically.

"What do you mean? Does this kind of thing happen often?" Hank asked, glancing at Gavin's scar.

He noticed this and inevitably touched the spot where the scar stretched across the bridge of his nose. "My father has a lot of enemies because of his success," he said.

"A reason you had that android with you?"

"Yes ... I mean no, yet kind of ... my mum bought him to look after me."

"I've never seen an android put a human through the wringer like that. I thought they weren't allowed to do that sort of thing until a colleague who looks after this prototype android at our company told me there are exceptions."

"Yes, there are. Nines is tasked with protecting me."

"What makes him different from other androids who follow stricter rules?"

"I don't know. I'm no android expert after all."

"Aren't you afraid of him sometimes? I mean, he has taken that man quite a beating."

"No, he'd never lay a finger on me."

"And others?"

"Is this about him or the two guys who tried to kidnap me? He wasn't the one who slammed my head full force on the counter and then tried to drag me off somewhere else," Gavin responded testily.

Hank fell silent, concerned. "Sorry, I was just curious," he spoke again after a while.

The boy scowled at him before turning around in surprise as two of Hank's colleagues dragged a somewhat unruly guy across the precinct and over to the cells.

"What did this guy do?" Gavin asked.

Hank shrugged, to which the boy sighed in resignation.

"That's not my case, so I don't know. But maybe you can still answer my questions," Hank said.

"What now?"

"Do you know what exactly the men were trying to accomplish by kidnapping you? We contacted your father, but he's been reticent about it."

"Well, if he doesn't know," Gavin replied dryly.

"You really have no idea?"

"Maybe someone wanted to prevent him from finishing a certain deal," Gavin replied, rolling his eyes.

"Was there anything like that on the table?"

"A friend of mine mentioned something like that ..."

"Huh?"

"She said he was going to take over her parents' company. She didn't like that."

"What did your father say about it?"

"Don't know, haven't talked to him."

"Not even the last three days you were in the hospital?"

"No."

Hank eyed him in surprise before returning to the topic at hand. "Do you think this friend's family ...?"

"No, suspicion would immediately fall on them."

"Hmm ... you're not wrong with that, boy."

"My name's not boy," Gavin admonished him before suddenly holding his forehead in strain.

"Are you okay, kid - I mean Gavin?"

Gavin shook his head. "C-can we talk about all this another time, please? I feel sick."

"The faster we move forward, the ..."

"You're repeating yourself."

"Yes, because you need to be reminded over and over again. We need your testimony to avoid anything else happening to you."

"You do have caught these two guys."

"Yes, but they won't tell us who their client is, nor if there is any further danger to you."

"I've just been released from the hospital - again - I'm fed up, I just want my peace, okay?" the boy suddenly became indignant. Apparently, what happened was starting to bother him, after all.

"Gavin, please listen to me. You ..."

"Sorry, we'll have to take a rain check on that. I just want to go home," the boy interrupted him as he got up from his seat.

"Gavin, I know you're upset after an event like this, but try to understand me," Hank voiced his concerns. He didn't like the boy's sudden change in mood.

"I can't tell you any more than you already know. Ask my father. It's his fault according to them after all."

"Okay, okay, we'll take a break. I'll come back by your house the next couple of days, and we'll talk again when you've calmed down, deal?"

Gavin nodded hesitantly but didn't look at him as he did so.

"Do you have someone to keep an eye on you for the next few days?" Hank asked, worried.

The boy remained silent.

"Gavin?"

"I don't need anyone. I have Nines," he finally said before turning on his heel and, without looking back again, heading for the exit. Hank also got up from his seat and followed the boy to the door. Just as he stepped out of the building, watching Gavin cross the street, he suddenly caught sight of the android across the street and stopped abruptly. He was just standing there, tall, slender, yet so strong that he could have nearly strangled a grown man. Hank hadn't told the boy what strangulation marks one of the perpetrators had taken so as not to alarm him further, but when he caught sight of the android, he regretted it.

He saw the boy stop right in front of the android, as he gave him a smile. But then he seemed to notice the detective's gaze and looked up. Hank involuntarily took a step back as the smile disappeared from the android's face at the exact moment their eyes met. Hank looked directly into his ice-blue eyes and tried to defuse the awkward situation by simply nodding at him from a distance. The android returned the nod while turning away, putting his arm around the boy to pull him along, before both of them disappeared out of Hank's sight.


	20. I don't want to hide anymore

"Are you sure you have ordered the cab?" Nines asked as he skeptically eyed the passing cars. "Gavin?" he repeatedly addressed the boy standing on the side of the road next to him, who was staring absently at his cell phone. Nines tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"What?" Gavin asked as he snapped out of his trance and gave Nines a puzzled look.

"Did you order the cab yet?"

Gavin typed wildly on his cell phone. "Nope, the request seems to didn't go through."

Nines judged this with a sigh.

"I should ...," Gavin tried to relent.

"Leave it, I'll do it," he was interrupted by Nines.

The android expected protest, but Gavin stayed quiet. Nines eyed him with a worried look as the boy silently turned his attention back to his cell phone. "Are you okay?" he finally asked.

"Mhh mhh," there was only an approving hum.

"The conversation between you and the detective was unusually brief. Have you figured out what these two guys, who wanted to kidnap you, were trying to accomplish?"

"Nope."

"What's the next step?"

"Don't know."

"Gav?"

"Huh?"

"What did the detective say exactly?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because it's important. I need to know if there's any further danger to you."

"Don't think so."

"You 'think'?"

"I don't know," Gavin responded, annoyed.

"But the detective ..."

"... doesn't know any more than I do. They think it has something to do with my father. Let them bust his balls."

"But this is about you. You're the one these guys had their focus on."

"Our cab's coming."

"What?"

"A cab ... a moving vehicle that takes humans and androids from point A to point B."

"I know what a cab is."

"Then why are you asking so stupidly?" Gavin sneered, already walking toward the stopping cab.

Nines rolled his eyes and sighed before following the boy.

Gavin had already made himself comfortable in the back seat and typed on the display where the passengers could enter the destination and process the payment options.

He still found it amazing how Gavin just went on with his life as if nothing unusual had ever happened. Surely Nines wouldn't have welcomed the other extreme in the form of a nervous wreck either, but it would be much healthier for Gavin to at least talk about the incident a little.

Engrossed in his thoughts, Nines casually turned to the display Gavin was still tapping on and frowned when he saw the boy just scrolling through a list. "Did you forget where you live or what's taking so long?"

"I don't want to go home yet," Gavin explained.

"It's already evening."

"So, that's when the fun actually starts."

"What fun? You should go home and rest."

"I've been lying around for three days."

"Gavin, you're still hurt."

"I won't push it, I promise. You can come with me if you want."

"Me?"

"Is anyone else sitting here?" he scoffed, to which Nines gave him an offended frown.

"We could go to that goth club. At least you wouldn't stand out there," Gavin continued to skim the list before a timer suddenly popped up, alerting the user to make a decision soon.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, they like to wear dark clothes too," Gavin defused the situation.

"Gavin, I don't think that's a good idea ..."

"Ah, that one, I've always wanted to take a look at this club," Gavin interrupted him with a murmur, skillfully ignoring his words before finishing the input and sitting back.

Nines gave him a reproachful look from the side, but Gavin successfully ignored it as well.

For almost the entire ride, they both remained silent to each other. Nines knew there was nothing more he could say that would have convinced the boy to rest. In fact, he should have been reassured that Gavin was bouncing around so energetic, but somehow he had a nasty suspicion that this was just some kind of skipping act to forget the mugging a few days ago. Even at the hospital, Gavin had barely spoken a word, either to him or to the police officer.

Nines already suspected that it was only a matter of time before Gavin's emotions overtook him, and at that moment, he definitely didn't want him alone. So if he provoked the boy even more now, he would probably send him away again. So he played along to at least be allowed to stay near the boy. If he followed specific rules, this was not even that difficult. Especially that first night in the hospital, when Gavin was obviously in pain and having trouble orienting himself, Nine's brief proximity had been enough to calm the boy down. The boy just shouldn't be pushed too hard and given only attention when he wanted it. That was the key, which shouldn't be hard to manage for an android. So he just sat back and tried to relax a little bit. What could possibly go wrong?

It took about ten minutes before they finally stopped in front of the entrance to the club. "Abyss," Nines read off the sign above the door and inwardly rolled his eyes. A club called Abyss was undoubtedly not a place that promised anything good, but Nines had decided to play along, so he would.

He was about to turn to the boy when he saw that he had already gotten out of the car. Nines got out as well and followed Gavin in quick steps so as not to lose him.

He found him again in the line that had formed in front of the entrance.

Nines stood next to the boy and silently observed the people standing in line around them. Most were young, probably Gavin's age or just a little above. Apparently, this club was right up Gavin's alley. Before Nines could get a closer look at the people, Gavin suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him slightly toward him.

Surprised, Nines turned to him, but then he noticed that they were already at the entrance. The bouncer let the boy through almost immediately while he eyed Nines skeptically for a brief moment.

"He's my friend. He's with me," Gavin explained, to which Nines looked at him, puzzled. The bouncer looked at the boy again, then at the confused android, before nodding and waving them in. Gavin grabbed Nines' hand and literally dragged him behind him. The android followed him without resistance as he looked more closely at the club and the people inside. In itself, he couldn't see anything unusual. This was a regular club with a bar, some seating on two floors, one - probably several - dance floors, and a DJ booth at the end of the room on some kind of stage. Nines stopped when he suddenly noticed one peculiarity. The couples gathered in this club were, with few exceptions, of the same sex. Intrigued, he watched for a moment a pair of two men who had made themselves comfortable on one of the couches before his eyes fell on two women who were eagerly kissing.

It took him a moment to process this impression before realizing that this club was a meeting place for gays. With his mouth open, he was about to turn back to the boy to ask him why they were here when he noticed that Gavin was gone.

Worried, he let his eyes wander around the club, pushing his way between people before finally finding Gavin at the bar. It took him a while to fight his way back across the dance floor as he watched the bartender hand the boy a glass. Gavin was already sipping it when Nines finally reached him. He eyed the glass skeptically but couldn't immediately determine what it was.

"What is this?" he asked the boy.

"Just a nip of absinthe," Gavin replied as he set the glass again and this time drank from it in one big gulp. Quick-witted, Nines snatched the glass from his hand as Gavin set it down and began coughing heavily.

"Hey, you need to drink that carefully," the bartender admonished him.

"How can you even pour something this high proof to a 19-year-old boy?", Nines snapped at him.

The bartender, however, just raised his hands in perplexity.

"Tipping always helps," he heard Gavin chuckle through the loud music.

Nines angrily shoved the glass into the bartender's hand before Gavin suddenly grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away from the bar.

When the boy finally let go of him, Nines found himself on the dance floor. Without saying a word, Gavin just started dancing in front of the android.

"Gav, we should take it a little easier," he tried to get his words through the volume to the boy, but he ignored him and continued dancing as if in delirium.

"Gavin? I think you should..." he started another attempt but interrupted himself when he saw Gavin stepping towards him all of a sudden.

He felt the boy's arms on his shoulders and neck before Gavin's lips met his. For a brief moment, time stopped around them before Nines realized what was just happening.

Abruptly, he broke off the kiss and saw the startled look on the boy's face.

While Gavin stood frozen, looking at him with a horrified expression, Nines leaned over and spoke into his ear. "Gavin, they can see us here."

"I don't care," the boy replied, snuggling back up to the android.

Nines saw the bystanders' curious looks and considered for a moment just grabbing the boy and dragging him outside, but then Gavin kissed him again, this time more intimately. Nines got carried away and returned the kiss as they swayed gently in time to the music just for one moment. But then he realized again where they actually were. This time, he broke the kiss, grabbing the boy's hand to pull him off the dance floor.

"Hey," Gavin wanted to object, but the android was undeterred and dragged him through the crowd.

"Let me go," the boy's resistance was now getting stronger, trying to squirm out of Nines' grip, but failing.

Without giving in even a little, Nines headed down a hallway from which a staircase went up. He spotted a door with a sign above it to his left, designating it as an emergency exit before yanking the door open and dragging Gavin outside. No sooner had they entered the alley than the boy tried to pull his hand with all his might so that Nines inevitably let go of him to avoid hurting him.

"Tell me, have you taken leave of your senses?" Gavin yelled at him at full volume, but Nines remained silent. He saw the boy turn to go back into the club before noticing that the door only seemed to open from the inside. Enraged, he tried to kick the door, but Nines grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"Get your paws off me already, you fucking piece of shit," Gavin cursed as he tore away from the android again, but Nines would not be swayed. In one swift motion, he grabbed both of the boy's wrists and pushed him against the wall with enough momentum that a muffled gasp escaped Gavin upon impact.

"Are you going to get a grip, or do I have to resort to even harsher measures?" Nines asked, continuing to hold him down despite his resistance.

Gavin didn't answer but grudgingly looked to the side as he made another half-hearted attempt to free himself. Apparently, his strength was beginning to fail him. Nines loosened his grip a bit to not hurt the boy but still held him tight.

"Gav, what's wrong with you? What's this all about? Why do you drag us here and then put on such a show?"

There was no answer while the boy still grudgingly looked to the side.

"If you answer me, I'll let you go," Nines made him a peace offering.

"What's so wrong about it?" Gavin asked, looking the android in the face.

"What do you mean?"

"What's so wrong about this 'show'?"

"Gav ..."

"What's so wrong about me kissing you?"

Nines stared at him silently.

"Because you're an android?"

Nines shook his head.

"Because you're a man?"

Again, Nines shook his head.

"Then what? You were the one who made me the offer! You're the one who started it, right? Why is it suddenly not right now? Why do you want to hide it?"

"Because you wanted it that way yourself," the android answered.

Gavin was silent.

"You were the one who said he didn't want anyone to know. You are the one who is afraid of his father if he found out. I'm just following your instruction. Your actions just now contradicted it," Nines explained in a calm tone while letting go of Gavin as promised.

"I just didn't want you to do something you'd regret later. You've been through a lot the last few days, and I can understand you want to block that out, but you shouldn't ..."

"I don't feel like hiding anymore," Gavin whispered almost so softly it was barely understood.

Nines eyed him silently.

"I'm tired of trying to please someone who doesn't give a shit about me."

"You mean your father?"

Gavin nodded and swallowed hard. "He didn't even ask how I was doing, even though it was his fault those guys ..." His voice broke before he could finish the sentence.

"Gav ..."

"I knew before that he didn't like me very much, but I thought that at least I meant something to him ... just because he's my dad."

"Your mom ..."

"She only called back to me briefly, too. Apologized for forgetting my birthday and just asked if the doctors had remembered I was a private patient as if that was the most important thing."

"Maybe you just misunderstood-"

"They don't care about me," Gavin ignored the android's objection and stared absent-mindedly at the floor.

Nines eyed him thoughtfully before shaking his head and raising his hand to brush a loose strand from the boy's forehead.

"But I do care about you," Nines said as he gently stroked Gavin's hair.

Obviously surprised by Nines' words, the boy raised his head and looked at the android with wide eyes.

"I've told you before that when you're not feeling well, you should turn to the people who care about you."

"I can't tell Margaret and Bruce about something like that ..."

"Then tell me," Nines declared.

"I did ..."

"Tell me before it eats you up, and you can't take it anymore. I'm here to listen to you. I'm here to support you. I'm even here to love you if you allow me to."

"Nines, you ..."

"And I don't do that because my programming tells me to," Nines anticipated his contradiction.

"Nin-," Gavin was about to say something, but Nines interrupted him by suddenly leaning forward and sealing the boy's lips with his own, making him forget all the bad things around him just for a brief moment.


	21. Trust

Lost in thought, Gavin examined the android lying next to him on the bed with his eyes closed, pretending to sleep. Gavin didn't know how much time had passed since Nines had joined him on the bed. All he knew was that at some point, looking at him, he couldn't help but lift his hand and run it through the android's soft brown hair. It was so perfect. Everything about this android was perfect. Even the teeny-tiny blemishes, like the little wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead, didn't spoil this impression. On the contrary, they only made his appearance more extraordinary and thus made everything even more compelling.

Nines evidently felt his touch, for he opened his eyes and turned his head toward him.

"Are you feeling a little better by now?" he asked, also reaching out to gently stroke Gavin's cheek with his finger. Gavin nodded silently, moving even closer to the android so that he could rest his head on his shoulder. Nines acknowledged this with an unexpected kiss on his forehead, and Gavin could feel his own heart quicken abruptly.

"Gavin, your pulse is ..."

"I know," he interrupted Nines with a low grumble as he embarrassingly buried his face against his shoulder.

Hell, the android even smelled like a human.

Gavin closed his eyes and listened to the android's artificial breathing for a moment as his thoughts slowly drifted away. He could barely remember what had happened in the last few hours. They had both been standing in that alley next to the club, talking about Gavin and his parents, before Nines had suddenly leaned over and kissed him. At the thought, he felt the heat rising in his face and was glad Nines couldn't see it right now. It had been the first time that the android had been the one to make the first move and kiss him. Without thinking about it for even a second, Gavin had returned the kiss, and just like the first time, Nines had become steadily more tempestuous and demanding with every touch of his lips.

Before Gavin knew it, the android had him pressed against the wall while his free hand had slid impatiently under his shirt. Nines' hands had caressed his skin before wandering lower and lower, eventually grasping the clasp of his belt. This had been the point at which he had gently pushed the android away from him. Nines had immediately understood this gesture and had instantly withdrawn without any objections, but the disappointment on his face had been impossible to miss. Without further words, he had called them a cab, and the whole trip back, they had not lost a comment about what had happened shortly before. Even when they reached the estate a little later, Nines made no further move to approach him, so Gavin slowly began to regret his reticence.

Only in the late evening, when he had lain awake in bed for a while trying to sleep, he had once again gathered all his courage and asked the android to lie down with him. Nines did not contradict him - why should he? - so that they were now lying on Gavin's bed, cuddled up close to each other, and Gavin no longer knew where up and down was. It wasn't the first time the android had been so close to him, and yet it made Gavin so nervous that he couldn't fall asleep now more than ever. What had he been thinking?

Gavin closed his eyes and tried to find the restful sleep for a moment before giving up and opening his eyes again. Nines still had his head turned toward him while his ice-blue eyes scrutinized him intently. Repeatedly, Gavin felt the heat creeping up his face. He avoided the android's gaze by lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Still can't sleep?", Nines unfortunately drew the right conclusion.

Gavin didn't answer him right away.

"Gav?" he asked again and was about to sit up when Gavin grabbed him by the shirt to held him back.

"I'm okay. I just need some time. I'm still too exhilarated. Lie down ... please."

"You sure?"

Gavin nodded and abruptly withdrew his hand as he caught himself nervously tugging at Nines' shirt. Damn it, he really needed to get a grip.

"Is there anything I can do to help you sleep better?" Nines asked as he half leaned over Gavin and was looking him directly into the face. Gavin didn't answer because he was utterly overwhelmed by this closeness. Damn, why was he so perfect?

"Gav?"

"I ..."

"Your pulse ..."

Before Nines could even finish the sentence, Gavin raised his hand and pulled the android towards him by the back of his neck. Impetuously, he kissed him on the lips, feeling Nines lean further and further toward him as he did so. In one swift movement, he grabbed the android's shoulders and pushed him away. Apparently, Nines took this as further rejection, for his disappointed expression spoke volumes before his eyes widened in surprise as Gavin suddenly sat up and pushed him back onto the mattress.

Nines could feel the boy's warmth on his lap as he sat on top of him and leaned down towards him. Gavin's lips met the android's again before he literally covered this face with kisses. Nines enjoyed Gavin's unexpected affection and put his arms around the boy to hold him tightly. Gavin's hot breath brushed his neck, and Nines felt the boy's hands tremble slightly with excitement at every touch.

He grabbed Gavin by the shoulders and pushed him away from him a bit so he could look him in the face.

"Are you sure?" he asked, not wanting Gavin to do something he might later regret.

The boy didn't answer him but simply pushed the android's hands aside to kiss him on the mouth again. Apparently, Gavin's reaction was equivalent to a yes, so Nines put his concerns aside and returned the kiss tenderly. His hands stroked Gavin's neck and back as he did so, his fingers lightly scraping his skin, causing the boy to let out a satisfied sigh. He noticed Gavin's hand reach for his shirt in a demanding manner, pushing it up. Nines disengaged for a brief moment to pull the shirt over his shoulders with Gavin's help. Gavin did likewise, tossing his own shirt carelessly beside the bed in a frantic motion. He wanted to lean towards Nines again, but the android was faster and pulled him towards him. Tenderly he kissed Gavin's neck, down to his shoulders, and onto his chest. The boy was very slim but athletically built, so Nines gently traced his lean muscles with his fingers. His other hand stroked Gavin's back, and this time he could see the red welts his fingers left on the boy's skin. He heard Gavin's soft sigh against his ear and felt his hand run through his hair as he caressed the back of his neck. But suddenly, Gavin's hand loosened and instead slowly stroked the android's belly, further down to the waistband of his pants. Nines let him and helped to open his pants before he beat him to it and reached for Gavin's instead.

At night, the boy often wore only light athletic shorts, and today was no exception, so Nines was able to slide his hand inside his pants without any trouble.  Gavin drew in his breath sharply and sighed when he felt the android's hand in his crotch until he began to tremble slightly with arousal. Nines was about to withdraw his hand, but Gavin noticed and grabbed his wrist to let him know it was okay. With a suppressed groan, he leaned heavily against the android and put his arms around his neck. Nines began to caress him tenderly at first, listening to the boy's breathing before taking his hand around his length entirely. Gavin's moans grew louder and more expressive as Nines massaged him with his hand, gently at first, then with a tighter grip. He could feel Gavin's warm, bumpy breath against his neck as he buried his face against the android's shoulder with a pleasurable sigh, pressing himself even further against him.

He didn't know why this was, but he liked Gavin's reaction to his touch, as it reinforced the pleasant feeling he felt when he was near Gavin.

"Nines, I'm com-," he suddenly heard Gavin's soft voice right by his ear before it broke in a deep and loud moan. He felt Gavin's fingers literally digging into his shoulders and stopped his movement when he felt the pleasant pain on his shoulder. He curiously eyed the boy, who, breathing heavily, leaned his forehead against the android's chest.

"You okay?" Nines asked uncertainly, gently stroking his back as he casually reached for his shirt and wiped it across his stomach.

"Fuck," were Gavin's first words as his breathing returned to normal.

"What's wrong?" Nines asked in a nervous voice. Had he maybe done something wrong?

"Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

No answer.

Nines eyed him with a questioning look. "Gavin, I ..." he continued with a question before Gavin suddenly looked up and pressed his mouth to the android's lips. Now it was his hands again, which were grasping demandingly at the waistband of Nines' pants.

Nines helped him by lifting his hips slightly and pulling his pants down a bit before he suddenly felt Gavin's lips on his neck while his hand stroked his crotch. A surprised sigh escaped Nines as an intense twitch ran through him at Gavin's touch. Almost drunkenly, he placed his hand on the back of the boy's neck and kissed him tenderly on the mouth, but suddenly Gavin's lips were gone, kissing his chest and stomach instead. Even before he grasped what Gavin was up to, the boy's head kept wandering down.

An uncontrolled moan escaped Nines' throat after feeling Gavin's tongue between his legs only a moment later.

"Shit," he muttered as the touch of Gavin's tongue flashed through his body like a lightning bolt. He only casually heard Gavin's amused gasp before he ran his tongue along the shaft of Nines' member.

Tensely, Nines curled his fingers into the sheet as Gavin encircled the android's heavily erect penis with his lips and sucked lightly on it. He circled the tip with his tongue and took it deep into his mouth, only to let it slide out again in a slow movement moments later as his hand followed his lips with a tight grip. Repeatedly, he let it slide deep into his mouth, and the intense sensation Nines felt increased even more. So much that he groaned loudly several times until at some point he could hardly stand it anymore. Just when he thought he was about to go crazy, the intense tension suddenly gave way to a fierce relief that numbed all his senses for a moment.

But the feeling didn't last long, as a soft cough brought him abruptly back to the present.

"You okay?" he asked, stroking the boy's shoulder with a concerned look when he saw the cough came from Gavin.

"You need ... you need to give me a warning, Nines," he explained before his coughing slowly calmed down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ...", Nines still didn't know what exactly he was apologizing for.

"It's okay, it was my fault. I didn't know you could do that."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of giving him an answer, Gavin suddenly started laughing softly.

"What's so funny? What do you mean?" Nines asked uncertainly.

Still giggling, Gavin leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the mouth. Nines' mind raced until he finally understood what Gavin meant.

"Oh," he said as Gavin released the kiss and snuggled up to him.

"What did I just swallow, anyway?" Gavin asked as he gently stroked Nines' shoulder.

"A protein supplement that ...", Nines started to explain.

"Okay, I know enough. You'd already tell me if it was harmful," Gavin abruptly interrupted him, looking up at him.

Nines remained silent.

"Wouldn't you?" Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nines couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from moving up slightly, earning a light shove against his shoulder in return.

"Don't fuck with me," Gavin growled before suddenly turning away and getting up from the bed. He stopped, however, and turned to Nines. "Are you coming?"

"Where to?", Nines didn't quite understand why Gavin wanted to leave now.

"Shower."

Nines just looked at him.

"If you don't like, I can go by myself ...," Gavin suddenly responded a little uncertainly.

"No, I'll come with you," Nines replied a little too eagerly as he finally understood what Gavin wanted him to do.

Gavin smirked and held out his hand to him. Nines wanted to reach for it, but then he stopped, as a sudden fear crossed his mind. The feeling of happiness he had just felt abruptly gave way to a deep sadness before a real panic took over his mind.

Why had he done that? What if he had done something wrong? He didn't know if Gavin would regret what they had just done the very next moment. He wasn't sure if he wouldn't have been better off pushing the boy away, and he couldn't in any way assess whether he hadn't actually harmed Gavin by doing so. He just didn't know if he had done the right thing.

"Nines?" Gavin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts before Nines pushed that panic aside with all his will and reached for Gavin's hand. No matter what the boy would soon decide, Nines would accept it. No matter how Gavin would surely feel soon, he would endure the boy's anger and frustration ... or maybe even his love?


	22. What is love?

Nines was the first to open his eyes when he heard Margaret's footsteps already on the stairs. He looked to the side and noticed how Gavin had snuggled up to him and was half resting on his chest, his feet hanging over the edge of the bed at the same time. The boy was a bit of a mess even in his sleep. Nines gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and pushed him slightly away, careful not to wake him. Gavin grumbled softly and turned away from him as he wrapped himself in the blanket. Reluctantly, but in too much of a hurry, Nines got over him and walked toward Gavin's desk, where he took the shirt off the chair that he had hung there yesterday. He hadn't wanted to risk Margaret asking awkward questions if she discovered it, so he'd hand-washed it after their shower.

He heard Margaret's footsteps already outside the door as he pulled on his shirt and stood beside the desk. The door opened, and he closed his eyes at the same moment. It was better for him to pretend to be in his stasis, watching over Gavin, than for her to find him in his bed. He felt her gaze rest on him, and he counted down three seconds before opening his eyes. Unlike usual, this time, she hadn't knocked and had simply stepped into the room. Nines could be thankful that he had such a fair hearing and could respond in time.

"Gavin, are you awake? We need to change your band-aid," he heard Margaret speak to the boy after she walked up to him and shook him by the shoulder.

"Margaret?", Nines decided to address her directly. She visibly winced and looked over at him.

"What's the matter? Why are you making such a racket?" it was now Gavin who grumbled and stood up, eyeing her with a sleepy look.

"We need to treat your wound. The doctor said ..."

"Maan, I can do that later, can't I? I can do it alone," he muttered, looking over at the android, "Nines can help me."

It didn't escape Nines' notice that Margaret gave him a quick glance.

"You were with that detective yesterday. What did he say?" she asked instead.

"Do we have to do this now? Can't we settle this over breakfast?"

"What do you like to eat? I'll make you your favorite."

Her odd manner didn't escape Gavin's notice. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

She didn't answer and just looked down at the floor.

Gavin got up from the bed and eyed her anxiously. "Margaret?"

Suddenly she began to sob and apparently crying.

Gavin gave Nines a startled look before putting his hand on Margaret's shoulder and looking into her face. "Hey hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I ... have ... been so ... worried. You were in such a bad condition, and you're here again today ..." she struggled to come up with an answer, interrupted again and again by her own sobs.

Now they both understood why she was acting so strangely. Obviously, she had been extremely upset about Gavin's state, and she had been worried that he was still not better. A smile flitted across Nines' lips as he realized again how much Gavin meant to this woman. He could relate because he had grown very fond of the boy as well. Gavin was quick-tempered, naive, infantile, and chaotic, yet at the same time so honest, so sincere, and empathetic that Nines couldn't help but like him. Or even love him? Love? Could an android even feel such a thing?

Lost in thought, he watched Gavin take the housekeeper in his arms and comfort her with soft words. Gavin and Nines had also held each other yesterday and whispered words to each other, but in a completely different way. Had this also been a form of love, or something completely different?

"... aren't you, Nines?" he suddenly heard his name and gave Gavin a questioning look. He hadn't even realized he was being addressed, and Gavin sighed as he noticed this.

"You're protecting me, aren't you, Nines?" so he repeated the question a little more emphatically.

"Of course, that's what I'm here for. If I had been with you earlier, I wouldn't have even allowed those two men to touch you. From now on, I will always be by your side ..."

"Hey, don't be so overambitious," Gavin interrupted him with a smirk.

Nines blinked in confusion.

"I can still go to the bathroom by myself, can't I?" he asked jokingly, and Nines understood that he'd gone a little overboard in his answer.

"I haven't even thanked you yet," Margaret said, gently disengaging herself from the boy's embrace and walking toward the android.

Before he realized what was happening, he felt her arms against his neck and froze. It was indeed an entirely different feeling than when Gavin hugged him.

"Take care of my boy, please," she said softly so that only Nines understood her words. He didn't get to say anything back because she broke away from him and took a step back. She wiped a tear from her eye and turned back to Gavin with a smile. Nines watched them talk again, but he did not hear her words, for he again drifted off with his thoughts to last night.

"Nines? Are you okay?" it was Gavin's voice again that brought him back to the present. This time he was standing directly in front of the android, looking up at him with a questioning look.

Margaret seemed to have left the room, for Nines could not see her anywhere.

"You're so absent-minded," Gavin stated, raising his hand to touch the android's cheek. Nines' first reaction was to raise his hand as well and take Gavin's in his. He assured himself with a glance over Gavin's head that no one else was in the room and leaned down slightly to kiss him on the mouth. He was already fully expecting Gavin to push him away and call him names; that he had changed his mind from yesterday and now wanted nothing more to do with him, but Nines was wrong. Gavin returned the kiss, and his tongue forced its way between the android's lips as he stood on his tiptoes and raised his arms to wrap them around his neck. Nines had not expected this. He enjoyed the unexpected affection but interrupted the kiss when he suddenly heard Margaret's voice.

She was apparently standing by the stairs, asking about Gavin's whereabouts. Nines knew she would come upstairs if the boy didn't answer, which made him want to take a step back, but Gavin held him.

"I'll be right there," Gavin yelled loudly into the hallway before turning back to the android.

"Coming to breakfast?" he asked, giving him a warm smile before letting go of him and turning away.

Of course, Nines had followed him, but a few minutes later, he already regretted it.

With his head down, he sat at the table in the middle of the kitchen while Gavin, who sat across from him, had been having a discussion with Margaret for at least five minutes about whether he could attend an open-air in town today. Why had he even asked her? She wasn't his mother. He didn't need her permission, yet it seemed important to him to convince her of that.

"Gavin, no, I don't think that's a good idea," Margaret objected again.

"But I had planned to go there weeks ago," Gavin countered another time.

Nines ran his hand over his face as the discussion was starting all over again.

"Gavin, you just got out of the hospital. You need to get better. Besides, it's too dangerous for you."

"But those guys have been detained."

Nines was thinking about saying something to break this cycle. But he didn't know what to say.

"Gav, you'll be able to go there another time," Margaret contradicted again.

"But it's going to take almost a year. I feel good, and Nines will be with me."

Wait, that was new.

Nines and Margaret exchanged a surprised look.

"You want me to go with you?" Nines asked.

"You didn't mention that," Margaret interjected, looking at Gavin.

"I did."

"You didn't," it was now Nines who contradicted him.

"Now stab me in the back some more, tin can," Gavin snapped at him.

"I ...," Nines was about to retort, but the boy interrupted him.

"You're coming with me, and you're going to take care of me. I will go there. No matter what you say about it. I've been wanting to go there for weeks, and I'm not going to let you lock me up here," Gavin now seemed to lose patience.

There it was again - the other side of Gavin. As much as he wanted to, he probably couldn't completely hide his father's genes sometimes.

"Sorry," he seemed to notice his own tone, however, when he saw Margaret's startled look. She stayed silent, just staring at him.

"I need a bit of a change after the last few days, so I really want to go there. Sorry. Nines will protect me. I'll stay close to him," he finally explained, looking to the android with a help-seeking look.

Nines nodded silently.

Except for that failed evening at the club, they had never gone anywhere together. Was the assault the reason he suddenly wanted him by his side? Or did he just want to reassure the housekeeper? Was there perhaps more to it than that?

"I'll keep an eye on him," Nines turned to Margaret. Usually, he would have disagreed with Gavin and agreed with her. But for some reason, he found the idea of going to town with Gavin enjoyable, even if he knew it could pose a potential danger to the boy. He just wouldn't leave Gavin's side and would take extra good care of him if the boy would let him. It surprised him that Gavin didn't seem to dispute or even regret last night, quite contrary to Nines' expectations. He had even returned the kiss this morning instead of distancing himself. Unconsciously, a smile flitted across the android's face as he thought again of the kiss.

"So may I?" Gavin asked the housekeeper again, who finally nodded in response with a sigh.

Nines wondered again why he asked her at all. He wasn't dependant on her consent, and even after he had already made it clear that he would go despite, he asked her again. It probably soothed his conscience if he had her blessing. Or maybe it was just important to him that she agreed because he appreciated her. But if it was so, he could have saved himself that announcement a moment before. But under the current circumstances, he would be more than forgiven for wishing for a bit of normalcy back.

"You can't show up there in that outfit, though," Nines heard Gavin, now addressing him as he got up from his chair and leaned over to the android.

"Come with me, I want to try something," he quietly urged Nines to follow him before spinning around and walking towards the door. But then he stopped again and looked over at Margaret. "Thanks, it was yummy. Love you."

As quickly as he had spoken the words, he had turned away and left the kitchen. Margaret and Nines shared an astonished look.

"I guess the boy did take a little more than I thought," she commented on Gavin's statement.

"And I think he meant it," Nines said with a subtle smile on his lips before he, too, left the kitchen, feeling her stunned look literally at his back.

When Nines went up the stairs and entered Gavin's room shortly after, he didn't find him there, to his surprise. Irritated, he let his gaze wander through the hallway and was about to turn back to the stairs when he suddenly heard Gavin step out of one of the other rooms. Before Nines could even turn around, the boy was with him and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. Immediately, Nines felt a pleasant sensation spread through him at Gavin's touch. Not a desire like he had felt yesterday, but a different feeling that he could not describe in words. Disappointed, he turned in Gavin's direction as he broke away from him.

"Put this on," Gavin said, holding a black leather jacket in front of Nines.

"What ...?" Nines wanted to ask why the boy held the jacket out to him but then decided against it and just grabbed it.

"It's my brother's. It should fit you."

"Does your brother know about this?" Nines asked as he pulled the jacket on. It fitted like a glove.

"It suits you," Gavin simply ignored the question and eyed the android carefully.

"Gavin, why ...?"

"Something's missing."

"Gav ..."

"Here, wait a minute, I think I read somewhere that you can take this off," Gavin muttered to himself, placing himself directly in front of the android before standing on his tiptoes and raising his hand.

Nines didn't know what he was getting at until he felt Gavin's hand on his temple.

Reflexively, he grabbed Gavin's wrist and gave him a questioning look.

"What are you up to?"

"I just wanted to try something," Gavin replied uncertainly, dropping back to his feet.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to see how you looked without it."

"Just like now. This is really not a component that would affect my appearance immensely."

"It does to me."

"If you want me to come with you, this would not be an appropriate time to try this. You'd have to put it back on."

"I want to keep it off."

"Why?" Nines asked, even able to see the red glow of his LED himself out of the corner of his eye.

"Why don't you let us try it?"

"No, if you don't intend to put it back on, you're breaking the law."

"What law?"

"Androids, if they leave the house, must be recognizable as such."

"Oh, bullshit. You're so rare. No one will notice."

"I can't do that."

"I don't want you to be recognized as an android," Gavin finally admitted his intention.

"Why? Are you embarrassed?" Nines asked, aggrieved, startled himself at his reaction to Gavin's statement.

"Don't give me that crap. You're not embarrassing me."

"Then why?"

Gavin didn't answer and took a few steps back.

"Gavin?"

The boy pursed his lips into a pout. "I just want them to see you as a person."

"Because you're embarrassed?"

"No ... you don't understand."

"I want to ... though," Nines persisted.

"It just bothers me."

"That I'm an android?"

"No."

Nines gave an exasperated sigh.

"Most people just see an android as a thing ...," Gavin continued.

"Which is what I am. I'm just a ..."

"No, not to me," Gavin interrupted him with so much emphasis in his voice that Nines' contradiction literally stuck in his throat.

This was the part where he would have to warn Gavin. The point where he should have been instructed by his programming to alert his owner that it was dangerous to see more in an android than he actually was. He should have made him aware that only a dead shell with circuits stood before him. But he couldn't.

"I don't want to order you to do it, but I'm asking you to," Gavin snapped him out of his thoughts.

Nines remained silent. Unsure of what to say in response.

Gavin took another step toward him and grabbed his hand. Nines stared at him open-mouthed. Had Gavin really just asked him to make an independent decision? What was going on all of a sudden? This was all going too well to be true.

Nines opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't get a chance because suddenly, a loud clang echoed through the hallway. Startled, the boy turned away from Nines and looked in the direction from which the noise had come. He exchanged a quick glance with the android before walking towards the supposed source of the noise, a storage room. Nines wanted to follow him, but he paused as Gavin was already reaching for the door's handle and opening it. He could see the boy's eyes widen as he peered into the room and couldn't hold still. Straightaway he ran towards the boy to take a look into the room as well. As he did so, he looked directly into the eyes of Bruce, Margaret's husband and the janitor of this house. He was crouched on the floor, surrounded by various tools, looking up at them.

Shit. Had he heard their conversation? What exactly had they said again?

"Damn, I'm not getting any younger," Bruce cursed softly to himself and began picking up the contents of his toolbox from the floor after it must have made that loud clang when it fell.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Gavin asked, crouching down next to the older gentleman to help him pick it up.

"No, I'm fine. Just startled. I'm sure you guys are too."

They both nodded.

"What are you up to?" Gavin asked cautiously.

"Wanted to fix something in the back of the garden shed. Broke a pair of pliers and needed my spare tool," Bruce explained in a casual tone. With nary a syllable did he mention their conversation. Nines wondered if he really hadn't heard it or was just pretending not to. Again, Nines went over the conversation in his mind. What exactly had they said? Was there any hint of what had happened last night? Or had it just sounded like an innocuous conversation between friends? Had he overheard anything at all?

Nines was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the two of them looking at him questioningly.

"Nines?" Gavin finally said, drawing the android's attention.

"Bruce asked you a question," he explained as their eyes met.

"What?"

"I wanted to know if you had enough strength to help me out back by the garden shed for a minute. There's this heavy stone hatch I'd have to lift. But ... well, I'm not that young anymore. Before I break my back, I thought I'd ask you to help me."

"Um, yes, of course," Nines replied as he exchanged a quick glance with Gavin. The latter seemed quite relaxed and, unlike the android, didn't seem to worry about whether they had been heard by Bruce.

"Sorry to hog your android. This is an exception," he apologized to Gavin.

"Feel free to ask him more often if you need help."

Bruce looked questioningly at Nines, who agreed with Gavin with a nod.

"No, no, that's when my wife gets mad at me. She says it's your android," Bruce objected, giving Nines a long, thoughtful look that made him quite uneasy.

"Is that Ethan's..." he was probably going to ask if the jacket Nines was still wearing was Gavin's brother's, but Gavin beat him to it.

"Just borrowed it. He'll get it back. He's not here right now anyway."

"Does Ethan know?"

Gavin bit his lips.

"Gavin ..."

"Maybe we should go out to the garden first so I can help you. We want to go into town for an open-air later," Nines interrupted them both.

"Are you fit enough to go to something like that yet?" Bruce turned to Gavin, eyeing the boy anxiously.

"Yeah, I've already talked to Margaret, too. Nines is coming with me and will watch me."

Again, Nines noticed that thoughtful look Bruce was giving him.

"Hmm, well, take care of yourself then. She's been quite worried about you. Please don't cause her more worry. The same goes for me, okay?"

Gavin nodded silently.

"Well, let's get to work, but you'd better take off your jacket first," he addressed Nines as he got up from the floor.

"I'll bring him right back to you," Bruce turned to Gavin before leaving the room. Nines exchanged another quick glance with Gavin and followed Bruce. The entire way through the mansion and out into the garden, they didn't speak a word to each other. Only when they arrived at the affected area did Bruce give him brief instructions on what to do. It was really just a quick touch. Bruce instructed him to wait a bit so that when the job was done, he could help him close the hatch again. A little nervously, Nines stood by and let his eyes wander around the garden. He hoped that Bruce wouldn't still remark that he had heard the conversation and say something about it.

"You should do that with the LED," Bruce suddenly began to speak, confirming what Nines had feared. Damn, he had overheard their conversation.

"That would be against the law," Nines replied, trying not to let his nervousness show. According to his memory, they had only talked about the LED, nothing more. Gavin's wish could also be interpreted as a gesture between friends.

Bruce straightened up and now looked directly at Nines. "I don't know why, but the kid doesn't really have many friends. He's been through so much lately and needs someone by his side. Not an android, though, but a good friend. To him, you're not just a thing. You're his protector. You are the first person he talks to when he needs help, or something is bothering him. He sees you as a friend, so just this once, do him a favor."

"You heard us?" Nines played dumb.

Bruce nodded. "He seems to really like you, but it's no wonder, as human as they make you these days."

Nines fell silent.

"Can I ask you something?"

The android tilted his head and looked at him in wait.

"It's probably a stupid question, but ... Can you androids feel anything? Or is this all just a simulation, too?"

This was a really unexpected question.

"I ... I don't know," Nines replied, somewhat irritated.

Bruce eyed him thoughtfully.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because I don't want you to hurt the boy in any way," he replied so seriously that Nines swallowed hard. His mind raced, and he weighed whether he really wanted to know how exactly Bruce came to make that statement. Apparently, precisely what Nines had feared was coming true. Bruce had overheard the conversation and perhaps noticed an unconscious gesture or two between them before and now drew his own conclusion. A conclusion that was probably closest to the truth. Damn. Nines hoped that Bruce liked the boy enough to overlook it. The fact that Bruce had asked him to remove the LED for Gavin's sake spoke to that, but Nines hardly knew the man and so couldn't assess the risk to either of them. They really had to be more careful in the future.

Meanwhile, Bruce had turned his attention back to his maintenance before stepping away from the hatch and asking Nines to help him cover it again.

"Thank you, Nines," he said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead with strain.

"You don't have to thank me."

"It's not part of your job, so thank you. And thank you for saving the boy. I don't know what we would have done if something had happened to him."

Nines chose to remain silent and just nodded.

"Now go back to the boy. I'm sure he's waiting for you."

"Don't you still need ..."

"No, I'll be fine now. Now go on and take care of the boy for me," he admonished him with a smile and turned away without waiting for a reaction from the android.

As he was told, Nines turned back to the main house and walked towards it in slow steps while repeating Bruce's words over and over in his head. How much had he overheard, and what did he conclude? Could he be trusted? Gavin seemed to because he didn't seem particularly concerned that Bruce had overheard anything. Did he really trust him that much?

When Nines became aware of his surroundings again, he was already standing in the hallway that led to Gavin's room, but he walked past the room and entered the bathroom instead. He stood in front of the mirror and contemplated his reflection for a moment before grabbing a pair of scissors from the cabinet and applying them to his temple without a second thought. He didn't know if this was really a wise decision, but he would do anything to make sure Gavin was happy.


	23. Better times

Silently, Nines analyzed the buildings and people passing them by as he sat with Gavin in one of the double seats on the bus headed for the city. He glanced to the side, and the boy's gray eyes met him with a smile. Gavin seemed genuinely excited about this event. Nines had researched it and found out that it was more of a town festival, held in Hart Plaza. It also included a market located in the open space of the plaza along with a large stage. This was their destination and the reason they were on this bus. Nines had suggested that they would instead call the chauffeur, but Gavin had objected and insisted on riding the bus. Nines hadn't questioned it further since such a trivial discussion really wasn't worthwhile. He looked into the back of the bus with an uneasy glance. Several androids were standing in an area, separated from the rest of the vehicle by a glass pane. Of course, Nines knew that different rules applied to androids than to a human, but he had to admit that he had never felt this so clearly in Gavin's presence as he did now. Androids were really just a thing to most people, only an item that wasn't even worth riding in a bus section with other people.

One of the androids turned to him, and their eyes met. Immediately, Nines looked forward again and involuntarily grabbed his temple, where the LED was now missing. He wondered if they had noticed that he, too, was an android and now marveled why he was sitting right where they weren't supposed to be?

But Gavin, his owner, had wanted it that way, and Nines now slowly understood why. A smile flitted across his lips as he remembered how pleased Gavin had been that he had removed the LED, thus deciding in his favor. The boy had literally jumped for joy when Nines had stepped into his room moments later. If Gavin were a dog, Nines was sure he would have rolled on the floor in glee.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Gavin suddenly asked, bringing him back to the present. For a moment, Nines thought about what to answer, but he didn't get to say anything because the boy suddenly jumped up from his seat.

"We have to get out of here," he announced only briefly before he was already halfway out the door. Nines did the same and sprinted after him hurriedly.

He was glad that, as an android, he didn't have to rely on oxygen. Otherwise, he would now be standing on the side of the road, completely out of breath after Gavin's surprising sprint.

"Can't you say that sooner?" he asked the boy reproachfully, but he didn't listen to him at all and looked across the street.

Nines glanced at the sign above them. "We got off two stops early," he said.

"I was going to stop by over there," Gavin said, gesturing to a cyberlife store across the street.

Nines furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you want there?"

"You'll see," the boy replied and ran across the street. Nines just sighed and followed him, but he stopped when they reached the store entrance.

"What's wrong?" Gavin noticed his hesitation.

"I can't go in there. They'd recognize me, and since I don't have my uniform or the LED ..."

"Okay, okay, wait here, I'll be right back."

"Gav ...", Nines wanted to contradict again, but by then, Gavin had already disappeared into the store.

A bit lost, Nines looked around before deciding to move away from the entrance for now. A few feet from the store, he leaned against a house wall and stared thoughtfully into space. What was Gavin doing in this store? Was he going to buy another android? Did it make him feel safer to have two androids around? What if he liked the new android, maybe even more?

Nines shook his head to shake off that thought. That thought was just ridiculous. He interrupted his mad train of thought and looked up questioningly when he suddenly heard a soft giggle and recognized two women walking past him. One of them gave him a smile, whereupon he looked irritatedly after her.

"No sooner are you left alone than you start flirting with strange women," he suddenly heard Gavin's reproachful voice, feeling a touch on his arm.

"I-I wasn't flirting with her. She just smiled at me. I didn't mean to ..." he turned to the boy excitedly.

"Hey, hey, I was just kidding, calm down," the boy interrupted him, however, giving him such a warm smile that Nines would have loved to reach out and pull him close, but he wasn't allowed. Not here, in front of all these people.

Abruptly, he held his breath as Gavin stood on his tiptoes, pressing his lips on the android's cheek. Only very briefly, maybe a fraction of a second, and yet a nice goosebump ran down his spine at that touch. Surprised, he looked at Gavin, but he kept his head lowered again and stared at something in his hand. A small cardboard box, to Nines' relief, not a new android. He scanned the package and noticed that it appeared to be a smart bracelet. One that the owner could sync with his android. This allowed him to communicate with him at further distances, and the android itself could see some vital signs and the location of its owner through it. Nines remembered that he had mentioned it once before when Gavin had been sick, but the boy had been anything but thrilled about it. Why had he now bought, of all things, what he had initially been so opposed to?

He took it out of the package and looked up at Nines.

"How do I set this up?"

In the past, Nines would have replied that he should kindly read the instructions for it, but he silently grabbed the bracelet and took it in his hand. He looked around briefly to see if anyone was in the immediate vicinity before synchronizing the bracelet with himself.

"Woah," Gavin marveled as he watched the skin on Nines' hand slowly disappear to reveal the white synthetic material that all androids were made of. Nines didn't know whether to take this reaction as more positive or negative, but he pushed the thought away and handed the bracelet to Gavin. "Now you can put it on."

The boy nodded and placed the bracelet around his left wrist before the band adjusted to it.

"Cool," Gavin commented on this feature, eyeing the bracelet from all sides.

Nines blinked as he was literally overwhelmed with a wealth of information.

"Everything okay?" Gavin asked, slightly concerned.

"Yeah, I just need to get used to it."

"Are you uncomfortable? I thought that ..."

"No, it's all good. But I'm reassured that you seem to be in good health," Nines replied with a soft laugh.

Gavin looked down at the bracelet thoughtfully, and Nines felt the boy's pulse rise slightly.

"How about you?" he asked uncertainly, but Gavin did not answer. While he could now evaluate Gavin's condition, he could still only guess what the boy was thinking.

"Gavin?" he asked again, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Gavin murmured softly, looking up at Nine. His pulse had risen even further, but Nines decided not to probe further for now.

"Let's see when the next bus comes," the boy deflected and set about returning to the bus stop. Once there, he tossed the bracelet package into a trash can and was about to turn to Nines when, fortunately for them, the appropriate bus arrived at that exact moment, and they boarded together.

In disbelief, Nines let his gaze wander over the colossal square where a considerable mass of people had gathered. There had to be hundreds, no thousands. He had never seen so many people in one spot and cast a worried glance at the boy walking beside him, looking around in awe.

"Gavin, are you sure that such a gathering of people ..."

Nines didn't manage to finish the sentence because Gavin suddenly took off running as if stung by a tarantula. Nines rushed after him and saw the boy stop in front of a nearby stall as he caught up to him.

"Gavin, you should ..."

"How cool is that? They have Detroit Panic shirts."

"Gavin, I ..."

"I'm sure that would look good on you," Gavin interrupted him again, pointing to one of the shirts that had some kind of cougar and the band's name on it. Whatever a cougar had to do with him or the band Gavin mentioned.

Nines couldn't help but wince as Gavin spoke to the salesman, suddenly holding up one of the shirts to him a moment later.

"Hmm, what size are you actually? My brother wears an L, so I'm sure you wear one too. Do you think this fits you?" he asked, eyeing the android carefully.

Nines sighed but decided against trying to lecture Gavin again. The boy seemed to be having fun and was safe in his presence. That was the main thing.

"It would be equivalent to an L, and yes, the shirt would fit me," Nines, therefore, replied calmly.

"Well, we'll take that then. Me too ... one in size M, please," the boy addressed the salesman.

"An S would fit you better. The shirts are loose-fitting," Nines interjected.

"I'm sure I'm still growing," Gavin countered.

"At nineteen, a person's growth is largely complete."

"Oh, leave me alone. I already know I'm short," Gavin said resignedly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Nines muttered softly.

Damn, that really hadn't been his intention. He wanted to retort something again but interrupted when he suddenly heard loud music coming from the stage over to them. Gavin literally threw the shirt he had just bought at him and put his own in his backpack before turning away in a huff and walking towards the stage. Nines set about following him so he wouldn't lose the boy in the crowd.

"Gavin, don't run. Stay close to me," he admonished him, but Gavin turned a deaf ear. Apparently, Nines had hit a sore spot, commenting on his size.

He sighed and grabbed Gavin's shoulder, but the boy jerked away again.

"Gavin, stop for a minute. I didn't mean it," he tried to apologize, but he slowed down when Gavin suddenly stopped. He hadn't expected that, despite his plea. He almost ran into the boy, so he reflexively put his hands on the boy's shoulders. To his relief, Gavin allowed it this time.

"Now what?" Nines asked, noticing the boy looking around searchingly.

"Let's go all the way to the front."

"But there are so many people," Nines objected, taking the brief opportunity to stuff his own shirt into Gavin's backpack.

"I don't see the problem," Gavin said.

"Gavin ..."

"Since I'm so small ..." he added flippantly.

Why was the boy suddenly so resentful? Nines sighed but held his breath as he felt Gavin's pulse suddenly skyrocket. Again, the boy looked around searchingly.

"Gavin?"

"Huh?"

"Are you all right?"

Again that nervous looking around. Somehow the boy was suddenly funny.

"Gav?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just looking at the best way to get to the front."

"Why don't you ask me? I can get a better view of the surroundings."

"Hmm."

"What's wrong with you? You're suddenly so quiet, and your pulse is very high."

"I'm just excited. I've been wanting to come here since the beginning of the year."

Nines stood beside him and eyed him thoughtfully from the side.

To him, however, Gavin's expression didn't look like he was really enjoying himself.

"Let's go ahead, then."

"In a minute."

"What are you waiting for?"

Gavin fell silent.

"Ga...," Nines started again, but the boy interrupted him.

"I'm ... going to the bathroom for a minute. Once we get to the front, I don't want to have to leave right away."

"Um ... okay."

Before Nines had spoken the last syllable, Gavin suddenly took off running, over to the small fenced-in lot with the restrooms.

The android followed him until he saw the boy, without turning around again, run toward one of the provided containers and disappear inside. Nines decided to wait for him outside and leaned against one of the fences. Concerned, he thought about the boy's strange behavior and wondered if Gavin just had a problem with his stomach and was too embarrassed to say so? It probably really was because he wouldn't know that the boy suffered from agoraphobia or anything like that. Nines sighed softly. Sometimes he was delighted not to be human. Humans were such fragile creatures, so easily hurt and inferior to androids in many ways. But they also had their strengths, especially a strong will. Nines sniffed in amusement as he realized that Gavin was the best example of this. He got his way no matter who stood in his way. Not even the mugging had rattled him, and he went on living his life as if nothing had ever happened. That's what he had thought, but Nines had no idea at that moment, however, that he had misjudged Gavin somewhat on this point.


	24. Fear

"It's all right, it's all right," Gavin muttered quietly to himself after rushing first into the container and then past the line of waiting people into one of the stalls. He sat down on the closed toilet seat and removed the bracelet from his wrist. He didn't want Nines to worry any further. No sooner had he removed the bracelet than panic suddenly overtook him. He heard his own quickened breathing. What was wrong with him all of a sudden? He had seen all these people, and all of a sudden felt this fear. He just didn't dare to walk through them. He had never minded such a thing. He had been to so many concerts and had never had a problem with such crowds. On the contrary, the hustle and bustle couldn't be enough.

He put a hand on his chest and felt his own heart racing. He needed to calm down; take a deep breath in and out. There was nothing to be afraid of. Nines was with him. He was safe. No one would be able to hurt him here. Why did he even think that anyone would want to hurt him here? Was it still from the mugging at the store? Did he now get so scared every time someone looked at him askance? No, he had to pull himself together. No one was going to hurt him here. He was here to party, to distract himself. He closed his eyes and thought back to the moment when he had lain in Nines' arms at home and snuggled up to him. When he had laid his head on Nines' chest and listened to the android's artificial breathing.

He knew he could have gone outside; there was Nines there, who would not hesitate to do anything to reassure him; but Gavin couldn't. He didn't want Nines to worry like that again; he didn't want Nines to think he was good for nothing else but continuously ending up in a mess and causing problems for others. Hell, why was he even worried about what an android thought about him? He was there to help him. Nines wasn't human, he wasn't alive, he was ... he ... damn, this all sucked. What had he been thinking, hooking up with an android? Nines was only doing this because he had to; he had no choice; his affection wasn't real. He was just a machine that had no feelings, and yet ... everything he said and did seem so real. Like he really cared, like he really liked him, like he really wanted him to be okay. Not because his programming said so, but because he wanted him to be. Just like he had told him at the club. Could that really be? Could he really feel that way? And why was Gavin questioning this right now?

He couldn't stay here any longer. Nines would worry and check on him, simulated concern or not. Gavin had to pull himself together and get back out. He noticed how his breathing had returned to normal and how his heart had stopped racing. Okay, he could dare. He would walk over to the stage with Nines, would watch the concert, and have fun. He wouldn't give another thought to the assault or the android's intention. He would just forget everything that happened and enjoy the evening. He needed this; he needed it so badly. He took another deep breath and stood up to open the door. With quick steps, he stepped through the narrow corridor past the other cubicles and out of the container.

By now, a long line had formed in front of the container, and he pushed past it, looking for Nines. He had to be here somewhere. Nines' voice reached his ear, and he turned in the direction from which the voice came. His gaze darkened when he saw Nines leaning against one of the fences, talking to two pretty girls. If someone didn't recognize him as an android, he really seemed to be a chick magnet. But no wonder the way he looked. Even for an android, he was more than attractive. But why was he talking to them? Didn't he notice that they surely didn't just want to chat? Did he see that they liked him?

Gavin shook his head. Why was he even bothering about something like that? This was ridiculous; he was just being polite, and besides ... damn.

He saw one of the girls touch Nines' shoulder, and the android let it happen. Gavin took a step forward to walk towards Nines and the two girls, but suddenly, a large group of people entered the square and blocked his view. He pushed his way through the group before abruptly colliding with someone and losing his footing. Someone grabbed his shoulder, preventing him from stumbling. He looked up to see who had helped him before his breath caught. A huge guy in sunglasses and a cap was looking down at him, still holding onto his shoulder. Jerking, Gavin pushed his arm away, but the man grabbed again. In a panic, Gavin tore himself away and backed away. He turned in the direction he thought Nines was and ran, but he did not find him. People, people everywhere, crowded together. He squeezed between them, hoping to find his android, but there were only more. Again he stumbled and, this time, fell unchecked on the dusty ground. He heard someone talking to him, but not what they were saying. Again he felt a hand on his shoulder and gave a silent scream when he looked again into the face of the bespectacled giant. Despite the sunglasses, he recognized the face. They were here, the guys from the store, they had been set free, and now they were here to finish what they had started. He tore himself away with all his might and picked himself up off the floor. Again he heard voices, but he didn't stop and ran, away from here, somewhere. The voice increased to a scream, to a roar, but he did not stop and ran. Someone was following him; he knew it. They were not allowed to catch up with him; he did not want to experience that again; he was afraid.

His pursuer caught up and grabbed his arm, he tried to shake him off, but he couldn't. A panicked scream escaped his throat as an arm wrapped around his stomach, and the momentum of his own run literally swept him off his feet. He flailed, but his tormentor only tightened his grip.

"Gavin, it's me, Nines!" he suddenly heard the android's voice and felt a hand under his chin, forcing him to look up.

"Nines?" he asked in irritation as he looked into the android's ice-blue eyes. Was that really his android? But there was just then ...

"Gavin, yes, it's me. Please calm down. I'm with you. You're safe," Nines' voice reached his ear as if from far away while he felt the android's touch on his cheek and shoulder.

"It's all right. I'm here." Nines pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him.

His warm breath tickled Gavin's ear as the android spoke soothingly to him.  "What happened?"

"They're here."

"Who?"

"The guys from the store," Gavin replied, hearing his own voice crack. Shit.

"Are you sure?"

Nines didn't believe him. He thought he was a crank, he...

"They were the exact men from the store?", Nines asked.

Gavin nodded but began to doubt it himself.

"Should I call the detective?"

Gavin shook his head and buried his face against Nines' shoulder. The stares of bystanders literally burned his skin, but he didn't care. Nines was with him. That was all that mattered.

"I ... lost the bracelet," he muttered resignedly.

"I know, I found it," Nines replied, tapping his hand on his jacket pocket.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken it off."

"You don't have to apologize. I shouldn't have gotten distracted. I would have been with you sooner."

Gavin fell silent, only pressing himself harder against the android.

"I don't know about you, but I think we should take a little break. I noticed a cafe on the way here. Let's rest there for a bit, and then you decide if we go home or stay here, okay?"

Gavin broke away from the android and looked up at him. Nines gave him a reassuring smile. Gavin froze because he was struck again by how perfect this android was. He felt the heat rise in his cheeks and looked to the side sheepishly before nodding in agreement and taking Nines' hand to his.

It didn't take them long to reach the café after walking together. It was a bit off the street, so it was relatively empty despite the large event near it. They found a seat in one of the corners and somewhat secluded from the rest of the places. Feeling powerless, Gavin dropped down onto the bench while Nines settled into a chair across from him. Silently, he once again let his gaze wander through the café, which was decorated outside as well as inside with many artificial but realistic-looking flowers. It was called "Flower Garden" and thus more than lived up to its name. Next to them, a small fountain splashed quietly between the flowers, while in the middle of the café was a little pond with some small fishes in it. Certainly not a café they would have customarily frequented, but Nines was simply grateful at that moment for the pleasant and calming atmosphere. Just what the boy needed right now. He looked to Gavin and noticed how the boy had his gaze fixed on the small fountain, watching the water as if mesmerized as it trickled down the stone into the pool below.

"Feeling a little better?" Nines asked, touching Gavin's hand that lay on the table in front of him. The boy returned his gesture, for he took the android's hand in his and nodded silently.

"Do you like to talk about it?"

Gavin shook his head.

Nines nodded and lowered his head, but as he looked down at the boy's hand, he remembered the bracelet he still had on him. He took it out of his jacket pocket and held it out to Gavin with his free hand.

"Do you want to put it back on, or should we leave it alone?" he asked.

Gavin now turned to him fully and extended his left wrist to him.

Nines understood the silent agreement and put the bracelet on Gavin. Again the information flooded through him, but he smiled when he realized that Gavin had actually calmed down a bit. With his finger, he gently stroked the boy's arm as he looked him in the eye.

"What can I get for you two lovebirds?" they suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice and immediately withdrew both of their hands.

"Now, don't be so shy. Don't let me disturb you. I just want to know what you want to order, then I'll be gone in a minute," the waitress, a young woman in a colorful little dress, tried to appease them. She gave them a broad, knowing smile as if they were sharing a secret together. Which, in a way, was correct.

"Do you have chocolate cake?" Gavin finally began to speak.

"Of course, sweetie, with or without cream?" she asked, winking. Whatever that was supposed to mean now.

"With. And another large coffee for my friend ... and a slice of strawberry shortcake, also with cream," Gavin ordered.

"Anything else?" she asked, looking to Nines. The android shook his head. Why had Gavin ordered anything for him anyway? As a cover? But then the coffee would have been enough, wouldn't it?

The waitress nodded with satisfaction. "I'll leave you lovebirds alone for a moment then. See you in a minute," she said before turning and walking away.

Nines looked to Gavin with a questioning look. "Why did you order so much for me?"

"So I wouldn't look so gluttonous."

"But me?" asked Nines with a raised eyebrow.

"You look perfect," Gavin replied with such conviction that he seemed surprised himself, staring down at his hand in embarrassment.

The boy looked adorable, looking so sheepish. Nines noticed a curl hanging down Gavin's forehead, and he rose slightly to brush it out of the boy's face. He felt Gavin's pulse rise and saw the boy's cheeks grow even redder.

"Don't mind me, I'll just put your order down quickly," he heard the waitress's voice again, but this time he didn't pull away, instead calmly sitting down in his seat and nodding his thanks to the young lady.

To Nines' surprise, Gavin had actually managed to polish off two huge pieces of cake in just a few minutes while sipping the coffee on the side. It reassured Nines that the boy had such a healthy appetite after the recent events ... though cake wasn't exactly the healthiest way to eat. But Gavin ate so little that it was better than nothing at all, and it showed that he obviously felt safe here.

Now that Gavin had also emptied the coffee, Nines finally dared to ask the question he had been wondering for quite a while. "Do you still want to go to the concert? I can see from the schedule that your favorite band is playing in half an hour. Or would you rather go home?"

Gavin seemed to think for a moment, staring at the fountain.

"I don't know," he finally replied.

"Listen, I have an idea how you could see the stage and not get lost in the crowd," Nine's said.

Gavin gave him a questioning look.

"Let me surprise you," Nines explained only briefly, calling for the waitress over to pay.

Only a few minutes later, they found themselves back at the edge of the crowd where the incident had started earlier. Gavin felt the tension in him rise again, but this time Nines knew his condition and squeezed the boy's hand reassuringly.

"Stand behind me," Nines suddenly prompted him, to which Gavin looked at him questioningly.

"You can sit on my shoulder, and then we can stay here on the edge."

"But - Am I not too heavy for this?"

"Trust me, I can carry up to two hundred pounds," Nines explained, making Gavin suddenly feel rather ridiculous. Sure, Nines was an android, but he was acting so natural by now that Gavin just forgot about it.

Nines prompted him again, and this time Gavin followed the android's instruction before finding himself sitting on his shoulders a few seconds later. Because of Nines' huge size, he could see over the heads of all the people. He couldn't dance like that, but that wasn't an issue after today's events anyway. So he could at least see his favorite band, and the day was saved. He saw the band enter the stage one by one, and a loud cheer went through the crowd. With a laugh, he looked down at Nines, who was lightly swaying along to the beat of the music that began. Finally, for a few minutes, he could forget all the bad around him. Nines was with him, and he was safe. He hoped so much that all the chaos that had befallen him the last few days had finally come to an end. He didn't want to cry anymore, he didn't want to be scared anymore, he didn't want to suffer pain anymore. He just wanted to have fun with Nines by his side. Preferably forever and ever, because he could no longer imagine life without the android by his side. He hoped that Nines would stay with him forever. He hoped it so much.


	25. Doubt

The clock hands had already reached ten when Gavin and Nines arrived at the estate. The rest of the concert had passed without further incident, and Gavin hadn't had so much fun in a long time. As they walked across the front yard, he was still mentally at the concert, blathering about his impressions.

"Did you see that awesome guitar Kyle had? I'd love to have one of those. But it's custom-made. Think I can get one to play it?" Gavin was still on fire as they entered the lobby together.

"You can't even play guitar," Nines laughed and pulled the backpack off the boy's shoulders.

"Of course I can," Gavin objected, taking off his jacket.

Nines gave him a surprised look. "Really?"

Gavin nodded eagerly.

"How come?"

"My mum wanted it that way. I had lessons then. I can play the piano, too."

"Now I'm inquisitive. Do you have any instruments here?"

Gavin paused for a moment, staring thoughtfully into space. "My mum has a piano in her study."

"Can you go there?" Nines asked as he hung up his and Gavin's jackets.

"Don't know, never asked about it."

"Well, we'd better not, then. It's been a long day anyway. I'm sure you'll be able to play something for me sometime."

"Hm," Gavin only gave an approving hum as he was starting to feel the fatigue hitting him. He noticed Nines watching him intently and sheepishly turned his head to the side.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nines approach him before he suddenly felt his hand against his cheek. He turned to him and immediately felt the android's lips on his. He still hadn't gotten used to the idea of hooking up with a man, and yet Nines' touches caused a pleasant tingling in his stomach every time.

"Let's go take a shower and then go to bed. I can tell you're tired," Nines explained as Gavin was too lost in thought to return the kiss.

He nodded silently and followed Nines upstairs. He stopped outside his room to grab a few things, but the android suddenly grabbed his hand and dragged him along.

Gavin was too tired to fight back, so he just gave the android a questioning look as they finally stood in the middle of the bathroom.

"I wanted to get some different clothes first ..." Gavin didn't get to finish the sentence before Nines interrupted him.

"You won't need those," he said, kissing him again without warning. Gavin would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he liked Nines' slightly dominant streak, and yet it was striking how Nines suddenly demanded his affection so directly from one moment to the next. Despite his misgivings, Gavin enjoyed the undivided attention and put his arms around the android before returning the kiss.

He felt Nines begin to pick at his shirt, and he detached himself from the android for a brief moment to pull it over his head. Immediately he felt Nines' lips on his chest, to which he let out a surprised sigh.

"I thought we were just going to quickly ..."

"If you'd rather sleep, I'll stop," Nines purred in his ear before kissing his neck and stroking his crotch with his hand.

"I ...," Gavin was barely able to speak.

Was Nines seriously trying to seduce him? Was that even what an android was supposed to do? Had Gavin given him any subconscious signs that he should react this way?

He tore himself away from Nines, taking a step back.

"Are you okay?" the android asked immediately.

"I'm just ... tired," Gavin explained as he turned away from him and fiddled with his pants.

"If I've been pushing you, then ..."

"No, I'm fine," Gavin muttered as he stripped off his clothes entirely and took off the bracelet before stepping into the shower without looking at the android again. He was about to turn on the water but paused when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Nines standing somewhat forlornly in front of the shower.

"You want to get stuck in there? Come on in," he urged him and could see the relief in Nines' expression. He turned on the water while the android undressed in the background. He let the warm water trickle onto his head and skin before he noticed Nines entering the shower.

The android could be as confident as he was, but to get the brush-off always threw him off. Gavin wondered if he was really hurt or just faking it.

Gavin caught himself staring at the android. This did not escape the latter's notice, and he placed both of his hands on Gavin's shoulders.

"Turn around so I can massage your shoulders. You're all tense," he explained, and Gavin did as he was told. He saw out of the corner of his eye Nines grabbing the shower gel and felt the android's hands on his shoulders again a moment later.

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the pleasant massage while he thought about whether he should address the android about what had just happened.

"Nines, can I ask you something?" he finally decided to do so.

"You can ask me anything," Nines replied.

"That ... the thing just now. Why did you do that?"

"Massaging you?"

"No, before that, you were trying to seduce me. Wh-why did you do that?"

"Because I like you very much and find you attractive. We spent a nice day together, but I couldn't show you the level of my affection in public, which is why I wanted to be close to you now," the android replied so directly that Gavin almost choked on his own spit.

"But if I made you uncomfortable by doing so, I'm sorry," Nines added.

"If I were the ugliest man in the world, would you still say that to me?"

"No."

Wow, the answer was more plain-spoken than Gavin had expected. He would have thought Nines would somehow beat around the bush so as not to hurt him.

"Are you just saying that to me because you have to?"

"No."

"You only deny this because you think that's what I want you to say, aren't you?"

"No, Gavin. I'm telling you this because that's how I feel."

"Feel? You're an android."

"And an artificial intelligence that can learn. Maybe I don't quite understand the concept of love yet, but ..."

"Love?" Gavin asked, swallowing hard.

"Isn't that what people feel for each other when they particularly like each other?"

Gavin was silent for a moment before deciding to ask another question. "Isn't it a little early to be talking about something like love?"

"Is there a set time limit for something like that?"

"No. Not really."

"What if I would tell you that I love you?" Nines asked.

Gavin tore himself away from the android and turned to him, eyes wide.

"But y-you're an android," he stammered.

"I know."

"And you're a man."

"I know, Gavin," he replied a little more emphatically.

Gavin just stood there, staring into space in disbelief as the water trickling down on them rumbled in his ears. He felt a touch of Nines' hand on his cheek and looked up at him. The android's blue eyes scrutinized him expectantly, while Gavin wondered why an android would say such a thing to its owner? Sure, they were something of a mate substitute for some humans and possessed all the necessary functions for that task, but was it really part of their program to confess their love to their owner without being asked?

He caught himself wanting to believe Nines and cringed at it himself.

Why did he want an android - a machine - to love him? What did he get out of it? It was just an illusion, nothing more. It was ...

He didn't get to finish the thought when Nines suddenly wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close. Nines' lips pressed energetically to his.

Gavin wanted to push him away for a split second, but then he sank into Nines' kiss and decided to just give in to this illusion, at least for a moment. Probably the android was just simply confusing affection with love. Yes, that had to be it. He would sort it out later.

He felt Nines' hands caressing him and how his own body began to respond. He leaned against Nines' chest and wrapped his arms around him. As he did so, the android gently stroked his back, down to his hips, before his hand passed almost casually over his crotch. Gavin sighed softly and pressed his hips against the android's. He stroked his hand over Nines' chest, feeling every muscle. Everything about him seemed so damn real and perfect. He looked up to kiss Nines' lips again but froze when the android's hand that had been caressing his butt a moment ago suddenly moved between his buttocks.

"Are you okay?" Nines asked when he noticed Gavin's reaction. Immediately, he withdrew his hand.

"I ... don't know," Gavin replied uncertainly. He guessed what Nines must have been up to, but he didn't know if that was what he really wanted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push you."

"You didn't," Gavin replied, reaching for his shower gel to continue soaping himself up and take his mind off the situation.

"I hadn't thought for a brief moment that you couldn't just download your experience off the Internet like I did. And I should have asked you."

"Nines?"

"Huh?"

"Shut the fuck up. It's all good. Let's ... let's finish up and go to bed, okay?"

"Sorry, I broke the mood ..."

"Nines," he admonished him, standing on tiptoe to kiss the android. Nines paused at the touch of his lips and nodded silently as Gavin broke away from him again.

Gavin felt the android's hands on his back as he helped him rinse the remaining soap from his body. He could have done this on his own, of course, but he enjoyed Nines' touches, even if the android was a bit overzealous at times.

Of course, Gavin knew what Nines had in mind. He had already seen this in some porn and once tried to do it on himself but failed. Out of his confusion, he had always denied that it had actually excited him. 

But in the meantime, he couldn't deny it anymore. After the incident with Anna and the last night with Nines, he knew that his interest in men was much bigger than in women. And he finally understood that his doubts in this regard had started much earlier, without him consciously noticing it. He had suppressed it by dating one girl after another throughout his youth. But when things had gotten serious, he had always backed out, convincing the girl as well as himself that he had merely lost interest or that he wasn't ready yet. So he had moved on and on, from one girl to another, but he had pushed them all away in the end. Since he had always avoided the subject, he was still a virgin despite his popularity with girls. And an android, of all things, was going to ... and then a man ... on top of that, one who had just confessed his love for him ... no, that was too much all at once .... he ... he wasn't ready for that and didn't know if he ever wanted to be. Sure, he had enjoyed yesterday, but this ... had been something different.

Still lost in thought, he stepped out of the shower and felt Nines' gaze at his back, but he remained silent. He took a towel and tied it around his hips. Only with difficulty did he stop himself from fleeing immediately and instead stood in front of the sink to grab his toothbrush. In the mirror, he could see Nines now stepping out of the shower as well. Gavin caught himself blatantly staring at Nines through the mirror and blushed when the android seemed to notice it as well. Fuck. He had definitely noticed because his reflection gave him a smile.

Without grabbing a towel, he moved closer before Gavin felt and saw him wrap his arms around his waist and lean against his back. Gavin froze in mid-motion as he felt Nines' hips pressed against his butt through the towel's fabric. He swallowed hard as toothpaste was already running down his chin.

"Are you okay?" Nines asked for what must have been the umpteenth time today, and Gavin felt the android's breath touch his neck. He bent over the basin to spit out the toothpaste and wash his mouth off, unconsciously pressing his butt even more against Nines' hips.

He tried to act normal and straightened up to turn his head in Nines' direction, but he didn't get to do so when the android suddenly grabbed him and turned him to face him. Before Gavin could say anything, however, the android's lips met his again, and only a few seconds later, his back met something hard and cold. Nines pushed him against the wall, giving him no chance to escape his stormy kiss. What was wrong with this android today?

Gavin raised his hands, first intending to push the android away, but instead, he wrapped them around the android's waist and returned the kiss no less impetuously. Shouldn't he better order him to leave him alone? Was an android even allowed to get so pushy, even if his owner showed him his affection?

He didn't know. All he knew at that moment was that this android was a damn good kisser. And he smelled so good ... but what kind of shampoo was that anyway? It wasn't his. Was it his brother's, by any chance? Irritated, he released the kiss and pushed the android slightly away from him. He gave him a confused look.

"Where did you get the shampoo?"

Nines looked at him as if he didn't understand the question before he answered. "I found it in the bathroom cabinet. I didn't want to take yours ..."

"That's Ethan's stuff. Mom probably put it there."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ..."

"That's okay, take it, I'll buy him a new one. He'll be gone for a while anyway," Gavin interrupted him again.

"For some reason, it seems to bother you. I can go back in the shower and ..."

"No, leave it. It smells good on you," Gavin objected, taking advantage of the android's embarrassment to push past him.

"Did you just ask me that to distract me and get away from me?" Nines asked so suddenly that Gavin looked at him with a startled look.

Had he? He wasn't sure himself.

"If you're uncomfortable with me being around, then you need to tell me," Nines said, giving him a penetrating look. Nervously, Gavin played with his towel as he faced the android. He didn't know himself. He liked Nines' touch and enjoyed his closeness, but something made him nervous. Was it Nines' intimidating nature? Or because he was an android? Or because he was a man?

Gavin rubbed his forehead. This was all so confusing.

"Gavin?" he heard the android's concerned voice, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw him reach for a towel and tie it around his hips before approaching him again.

"I ... have a headache, been a long day today. Sorry," Gavin lied, releasing his hand from his forehead to look up at the android, but the sight of him immediately froze him. Nines knew he was lying. It was evident because Nines avoided his gaze and bit his lower lip thoughtfully. Did he imagine it, or did the android actually seem offended?

Gavin raised his arm and placed it on the left side of the android's chest while taking the android's hand and putting it in the same spot on his own chest. Nines eyed him intently, and his eyes widened as he understood.

"Give me some more time to figure this out. Okay?" Gavin asked.

Nines nodded silently, at which point Gavin let go of his hand, but the android made no move to release his as well. Instead, he took a step toward Gavin and rested his forehead against his.

Gavin felt his heart stop for a brief moment as he sensed the android's touch. For a while, they just stood there, saying nothing, before Nines gave him a light, almost just breathed kiss on the lips and took a step back. Damn, why did he always have to be so understanding?

And why did he have to be so hot while doing so? The way he bit his lower lip, Gavin would have liked to feel those lips right away. Last night came to his mind when he had already lost control once. Fuck, he had felt like he actually had a human in front of him. Even with his cock, they had not been stingy. As if the android wasn't perfect enough already. Shit. He almost regretted shooting down the android's somewhat brash come-on, but he knew Nines would wait. They would have plenty of time together. Nines wouldn't just dump him, as many had done after realizing he didn't want to have sex. But that had been women, and he hadn't cared about them at that point. Damn it, why did it all have to be so complicated? Why couldn't he be a "normal" teenager?

"Gavin?" he heard the android's soft voice again and realized he had been staring at him the whole time.

"That was really a lot for today. Let's go to bed," the android said, smiling wryly.

Gavin didn't answer but just looked at him.

Nines tilted his head questioningly. "Are you so tired already that I have to carry you?" he asked with a soft laugh before falling silent in surprise as Gavin grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled the android to him. Gavin knew he would probably regret this later, but he just didn't care at that moment. He didn't care that Nines was just a machine, and he didn't care that he was a man. He pulled the android even closer to him with a stormy kiss before grabbing its hand and silently pulling him with him. He was sure that he might regret this soon, but he wanted to take the risk. Because Nines was more than worth it.


	26. Can you really feel something?

Gavin didn't remember how they had gotten to his room since he hadn't been able to break away from the android on the way here. From one moment to the next, he had suddenly desired everything on him, his body, his charm, his understanding manner. Damn, he just hadn't been able to resist anymore. Now he found himself on his bed, with Nines over him, pinning him to the mattress with his strong arms and showering him with kisses. The two towels they had worn around their waists had already been dumped on the way over. He didn't know where they lay, but he didn't care.

He felt the android's warm bare skin on his, which was all he was conscious of right now. Again, Nines' lips met his as he felt the android press his crotch against his lap. Nines was sitting on top of him, so Gavin couldn't have even escaped if he'd wanted to. He was sure the android would not hold him back, but his potential strength only turned him on more. Nines had done this once before when he'd tried to stop him from trashing his entire room a few days ago. Hell, that alone had been enough to fuel his imagination, and now here they were, just like in his daydream. He felt Nines' hand stroking down him, caressing him before grasping his member and ...

Nines didn't really get to do anything to him because a pleasurable feeling ran through Gavin's body as he came with a loud moan.

_ Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. No. _

Startled, he wrenched his eyes open and looked up into the face of the android, who was still sitting on top of him, looking down at him with a look he couldn't make out.

"I'm sorry ..."

"It's all right. It's all still new to you," Nines whispered in his ear as he leaned down toward Gavin and remained that way for a moment before finally rolling onto his side.

Gavin sat up frantically and reached into the drawer of a small dresser that stood beside the bed before wiping his own cum off his stomach with a tissue. He would have had these tissues last time, but he just hadn't thought of them. He looked over at Nines, lying next to him, looking up at him as he propped his head up with one arm bent. Without looking at the android for too long, he handed him a cloth as well and set the box down on the floor. Without another word, he threw himself on the sheet and immediately buried his face in his pillow.

"Are you okay?" he heard Nines' concerned voice and felt the touch of a hand on his skin as the android gently stroked his back.

Gavin didn't answer and mumbled something he didn't even understand himself. He didn't want to talk about it; it was embarrassing enough.

"Gavin, now look at me," Nines didn't let up, however, and grabbed him by the shoulder to make him look up.

Gavin had expected something like disappointment in the android's eyes, but instead, Nines gave him a warm smile.

He was sure the android just felt sorry for him.

Again, he buried his face in the pillow, after which he heard Nines sigh softly. He noticed the android's hand caressing his back again as Nines moved closer to him and placed the blanket over them both. He kissed Gavin's hair and snuggled against him so that his face was right next to the boy's.

This time he kept silent but didn't stop stroking Gavin's back. A pleasant goosebump showed on his skin when he decided to turn his head in Nines' direction after all. Again the android smiled. Was he taunting him?

Gavin's mind raced, but it stopped when Nines leaned his forehead against his.

No, that wasn't mocking, that was ... that was ... he couldn't find a word for it.

"T-I'm sorry," Gavin could finally make himself say something.

"Why are you apologizing?" Nines asked. His breath brushed Gavin's cheek as he did so.

"I ruined the whole mood."

Nines smiled. "Apparently, you enjoyed it."

Gavin would be lying if he denied that, so he nodded silently.

"Then it's all good, isn't it?"

"But you couldn't ..."

Nines put a finger to his lips. "Don't think about it so much."

"But I want you to have your fun, too."

Nines laughed, yet it sounded almost sad when he said, "I'm an android."

"One doesn't exclude the other."

Nines just smiled.

"Doesn't it?" Gavin asked uncertainly.

Again, the android fell silent.

"You do enjoy it, don't you? Or are you just doing it for me?" Gavin became more and more unsure.

"Anything that makes you happy is fun for me," Nines replied, but the answer did not satisfy Gavin.

"But what about you? What do you feel when you're with me, when we kiss, when we touch, when we ..." his voice failed him with disconcertment.

Nines, in response, wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Tell me you feel something," Gavin murmured against his chest. "Tell me that something is real. That it's real, that you like me and you ...," Gavin's words were almost like a whimper.

"You have no idea how much I care about you, Gavin," Nines finally said something, but Gavin didn't have the strength to answer. 

"You have no idea how much I want you to be okay," Nines continued, burying his face in Gavin's hair. "Not because my programming tells me to, but because I really feel it. And you have no idea how much you've come to mean to me."

"You're only saying that because you have to. Because you can't help it. What you call feeling is only faked for you."

"The feeling you call love is caused by an interplay of different hormones. You humans are also programmed to love someone. I don't see any difference, Gavin."

"But you don't have a choice," he objected again.

"Yes, I do, and I would choose you again and again."

Gavin's fingers clawed at his chest, "Stop it."

"No, you asked, and I'm answering."

Gavin fell silent, breathing in the scent of the android. "So you can really feel this?" he asked, scratching his fingers over Nines' chest.

"Yes, it's pleasant but also slightly painful."

"Just a simulation, too," Gavin growled, to which Nines just sighed in resignation.

"And what do you feel now?" Gavin asked again, stroking the android's belly.

"It's pleasant."

"Do you really feel it as pleasant, or are you just saying that because you have to?"

"Why couldn't you just accept it, Gav?" Nines moaned audibly in exasperation.

Gavin remained silent. He wanted so badly to believe him, but he couldn't. He could be the ugliest person on the planet, and Nines would still claim to find him attractive. He could even beat the android every day, and yet, Nines would say he liked it. It was his job to please his owner as much as possible, to be of service to him, and make him feel he was special.

"Tell me how to prove it to you," he heard Nines whispering against his ear.

He couldn't.

"Gavin?"

He couldn't prove it.

Another resigned sigh. "You know what, I'll prove it to you someday when I figure out how to, okay?"

Gavin looked up at him, and again Nines gave him that smile. He felt the heat rising in his cheeks, at which point he buried his face against the android's shoulder. But Nines grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at him. Gavin saw into Nines' blue eyes before he felt the android's lips on his and closed his eyes. The android's hands stroked his arms and back until one moved back down his body. Silently, he sighed into the kiss as Nines grasped his penis and gently stroked it. Surprised, he held his breath as the android let go of him and stood up, only to grab him by the shoulders moments later and push him back onto the mattress. Damn, how he loved the android's slightly dominant behavior.

He noticed how Nines glanced down and smirked when he saw Gavin's erection.

_ Yeah, be happy that I can't fucking resist you. _

Gavin inwardly cursed himself for always reacting immediately to Nines' touches, but he abruptly interrupted his thoughts when the android started kissing his neck, and a pleasant sigh escaped his lips.

Nines' hands were suddenly everywhere, and Gavin didn't know where up and down was for a moment until, without warning, Nines slid down him and encircled his member with his lips.

_ Fuck. _

He only reluctantly straightened up and grazed the android's cheek with his hand to get his attention.

Nines let go of him and looked up at him questioningly.

"I said I want that you have fun, too," Gavin murmured softly.

"I thought you told me I couldn't feel something like that," he replied, stroking the tip of Gavin's penis provocatively with his tongue.

The boy drew in his breath sharply and considered shutting up for a moment but decided against it.

"Let's do something you like."

"I like anything you like."

"You said you wanted to prove to me that you really felt something, so tell me what you really like."

Nines now let go of him entirely and slid up enough to lean over him and look him in the face.

"You know what I like," he breathed into the boy's ear.

Gavin swallowed hard.

"Or rather, what I'm interested in. I've learned a lot about it, and I know how to do it, but I don't know how it feels. But if you're not ready for it, it won't work," Nines explained, straightening back up so that he came to sit on the boy's lap.

As he did so, Gavin felt his cock touch Nines', whereupon heat rose to his face once more.

"Is this making you uncomfortable?" the android noted his uncertainty and was about to stand up, but Gavin grabbed his arm. "No, stay."

Nines smiled and stroked his hand tenderly over Gavin's chest.

"Even though you're still having trouble controlling your orgasm, you do have a brief refractory period," Nines suddenly explained, looking down on him.

"Refract ... What?"

"Don't worry about it. Take it as a positive," Nines evaded further explanation.

Gavin kept forgetting that Nines was an android, but moments like this made it abundantly clear. It didn't bother him, but it was kind of funny in a way.

He snorted in amusement, to which Nines gave him a questioning look.

"You're just too cute sometimes," Gavin slipped out before he realized the meaning of his words himself. It wasn't until Nines looked at him with wide eyes that he realized it. But before he could explain himself, Nines leaned down and kissed him on the mouth. Almost automatically, he returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around Nines' neck. Again Nines' loins pressed against his lap, but this time he just enjoyed it. He wondered if he should really grant Nines' wish. He didn't always want to be the only one who had fun. He wanted Nines to feel something, to feel him.

"Let's try it," he said, as Nines broke away from his lips and just devoted himself to his neck.

"Are you sure?"

Gavin nodded dumbly. No, he wasn't sure.

"It won't work," Nines said suddenly.

"Why?"

"We don't have any lube."

"Can't we do it without? In the porn, they only have taken spit ..."

"You watched gay porn?" Nines asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, no, I got that from a friend."

"From a friend, then. What kind of friend do you talk to about something like that? Do I know him?" he felt Nines' breath right against his ear.

He knew the android was just teasing him, yet he responded.

"I have some there," Gavin changed the subject, but he didn't know if this wasn't more embarrassing.

"Huh?"

"Lube. I have some."

"Why do you have some?"

"Same reason I have condoms here."

Nines smirked.

"What? Everyone should have something like that ... or so ... they say."

"Who are 'they'?" Nines asked.

"Now stop asking. You're ruining the whole mood."

"Trust me, all I have to do is start kissing and caressing you, and you'll be ready again."

What the hell? When did Nines start talking like that? Since when was he so full of himself?

"Where is it?" he asked. Gavin silently gestured over to the dresser, at which point Nines leaned across him and reached for the drawer.

"Wow, you've got more than just condoms and lube in here," he began to mock again.

"Get it out and close them or I'll change my mind," Gavin threatened, after which Nines closed the drawer and looked back at him.

"You've tried it yourself, haven't you?" he asked as he turned to face him squarely and leaned over him.

Gavin gritted his teeth tensely.

"Don't be embarrassed, Gavin. But you just better hide it because others in this house might ask the same question."

"Then I'll just say it's all for my girlfriend."

Nines didn't answer that but gave him a gentle kiss.

"Then you know how it goes," he finally said as he broke away from Gavin and took something from the lubricant.

Gavin didn't respond but looked tensely at Nines' hands. Yes, he had tried it before. Yes, he had watched porn to see how it went, but he had never done it with a man ...

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when Nines grabbed his leg and lifted it.

_ Fuck. _

He felt Nines' hands gently caress his butt at first before his fingers slid between his butt cheeks after a while. Gavin dropped his head back and tried not to watch Nines anymore, but he knew the android was watching him closely.

"Gavin?" he suddenly heard Nines' voice and slightly raised his head to look at him.

"You're all tense. It's not going to work like that."

Gavin didn't know what to say in response.

"If you don't like it, let's not do it. I don't want you to do this just because of me."

"One more try," he objected, but Nines gave him a doubtful look.

"Please."

The android sighed and seemed to think for a moment. "Lie down on your stomach," he finally said.

"Huh?"

"Lie on your stomach and try to relax and just think about nothing."

A little unsteadily, Gavin rolled onto his stomach and looked over his shoulder at the android.

"Lie down properly," the latter said when he noticed the look and pressed Gavin's head down on the pillow with a gentle grip. He saw from the side Nines grab one of the handkerchiefs. What was he going to do?

Surprised, he flinched when he suddenly felt Nines' hands on his shoulders before the android started massaging them gently.

"What ...?" Gavin was about to launch into a question, but Nines interrupted him.

"Just relax. Let me do it."

With difficulty, Gavin urged himself to calm down and closed his eyes while Nines' hands continued to massage him. He almost fell asleep after a while as the relaxation overtook him, but then he heard Nines' voice again as he asked if it was still okay. Gavin nodded, noticing Nines' fingers again touching the spot he had only let himself touch before. He moaned softly as Nines slowly massaged him with one finger, trying to penetrate him.

Fuck. He knew it shouldn't hurt if one did it right, but he was still scared shitless.

"Gavin, you're tensing up again," the android's admonishing words reached his ear.

"If you don't like it or it hurts you, say so, and I'll stop. Immediately," the voice now sounded closer to his ear before he felt Nines' lips on his skin as he kissed his neck soothingly.

Gavin remained silent, which prompted Nines to continue. He closed his eyes and tried to just stop thinking about it as he felt Nines' fingers inside him again. He waited for the pain he had experienced before when he was too rough and rash in his own first attempt, but it failed to materialize. Nines clearly knew what he was doing. Why wouldn't he? He was an android. He could control almost anything perfectly by merely downloading an addon or something like that.

Nines paused for a moment, and Gavin concluded that he was tensing up again. He took one deep breath and exhaled again.

"Are you all right? Does that feel good?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. It was different, pleasant even, but more like a lovely caress.

"You know what I told you?"

Gavin nodded. "Go ahead."

"I'll take a second finger now."

Gavin heard Nines open the lubricant before he again felt the latter's fingers trying to penetrate him. He didn't even notice the loud groan as he forced the air out of his lungs. Immediately Nines pulled back and bent over him.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked anxiously.

"No, I ... I'm fine." He didn't know himself why he had reacted that way. Had he been holding his breath out of excitement?

"You sure?" Nines asked again.

Gavin nodded frantically.

This time Nines' fingers penetrated him even deeper, and he gave a suppressed moan as Nines moved them lightly inside him. The sensation was more intense now but still pleasurable. When he had tried it himself, he hadn't gotten to this point and had always backed out. It probably wouldn't have felt as good as it did now, either.

"I'd try it now," he was only peripherally aware of Nines' voice and felt him pulling his fingers out.

Again, the lube's tube clack before Nines' hands grabbed his butt cheeks and gently pushed them apart.

He noticed fear gripping him again as the tip of Nines' penis touched him where his fingers had been a moment ago, but he tried to remain calm.

Again he expected pain, even if only briefly, but nothing of the sort happened as Nines slowly entered him with several small pauses.

"You still okay?" he asked as he paused again briefly, to which Gavin let out an approving growl.

Nines hesitated again before sliding his penis out of Gavin in a slow motion, only to enter him again a split second later. The android's hands clasped his hips, and Gavin heard his soft moans, which gradually matched the rhythm of his thrusts. He sped up a little as Gavin let out a moan of pleasure, stretching all his limbs.

"Come up, kneel down, it will be better," Nines asked him after a while, sliding his hand under Gavin's belly to pull him up to him slightly, but Gavin eluded his grasp and turned to kiss him.

"I want to see you," he said as he released the kiss.

Nines smiled and put a hand on Gavin's chest to push him back onto the mattress before lifting his leg. Gavin leaned his foot against Nines' shoulder and gave a soft sigh as the android entered him again.

Fuck, that was even better. Gavin's fingers clawed into the sheet as the android's thrusts quickened again. He was still gazing into Nine's eyes when he finally released one hand from the sheet to use it to grip his own member. He matched his movement to the android's thrusts, and he could see Nines couldn't take his eyes off him.

A loud moan escaped the android's throat as he climaxed only a moment later with his head thrown back. At this sight, Gavin couldn't hold back either and gave in to the relieving feeling with a deep sigh. He closed his eyes as his orgasm literally overtook him and only opened them again when his breathing finally calmed down. Surprised, he held his breath when he saw Nines still sitting in front of him, looking down at him. Had he been watching him?

"Don't look at me like that," he growled.

"Why? You were looking at me, too," Nines countered, leaning down to kiss him.

Gavin put his arms around Nines' neck and returned the kiss. He couldn't hide his disappointment when the android broke away from him far too quickly.

"I'll be right back," he whispered softly and got up from the bed. Gavin watched him picking up one of the towels from the floor and tying it around his waist before leaving the room. Gavin would have liked to get up and follow him, but he was still too overwhelmed by what had just happened. He rolled onto his side and pulled the blanket over his shoulders as he stared fixedly into space. Now he knew, now he could no longer deny it or deceive himself. He had slept with a man. With his own android. And he had liked it. Shit.

Suddenly it hit him like a blow as he finally became aware of what had just happened. The pleasant tingling sensation he had just felt suddenly gave way to an engaging panic. He imagined how his family would react when they found out. He recalled the fear he had felt when his so-called friends had threatened to tell his father that he was gay. He saw his father's reaction before his eyes as he looked at him with a look of hatred. His mother, standing by, looking down at him with a shake of her head and pity in her eyes.

His brother and Elijah, how they mocked him for abusing an android for such a purpose.

"Gavin, what's wrong?" Nines' voice suddenly reached his ear, but he could not answer him. His throat was tight. He felt Nines' hands on his shoulder as he knelt in front of the bed and tried to look Gavin in the face, but he closed his eyes. He couldn't look at him. He had to get out of here; he wanted to be alone.

With all his strength, he pushed the android off him and jumped up from the bed. Nines said something, but he didn't understand it. Ignoring the towel on the floor, he stormed into the hallway, still naked, and headed for the bathroom, knowing the android wouldn't follow him there.

Nines caught up to him and grabbed his hand, but he tore away and opened the bathroom door to escape inside. Hastily, he slammed it shut again and turned the key.

"Gavin," he heard Nines' voice through the door, but he paid no attention to him.

He sat down on the toilet and covered his ears. He closed his eyes and just didn't want to know anything more about this world. He felt Nines' cum - or whatever the hell it was - making its way back out, and he just wanted to curl up and die. He had actually shagged his own android ... fuck. Where had he gotten that fucking idea? Why had he let him talk him into it?

For a while, he just sat there, feeling sorry for himself, until he finally dared to open his eyes and take his hands off his ears. He listened to see if Nines was still standing outside the door talking to him, but nothing. Even he had eventually enough of him. Even an android began to wonder why he was still bothering with him.

Gavin tore a piece of paper from the roll next to him with trembling hands and threw it into the toilet after cleaning himself up.

Absentmindedly, he watched it sink into the water before grabbing his head with a pained groan.

'What was it now?" he wondered as a sudden violent headache overtook him. Immediately he dropped to his knees and then vomited violently in the toilet bowl.

Only peripherally did he suddenly hear the sound of footsteps before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he heard Nines' voice say. How had he gotten in here?

Gav didn't get to ask him because he threw up again. What the hell was going on? Wasn't he feeling dirty enough already? Was it from the concussion? But that was several days ago.

The hand on his shoulder squeezed lightly before he briefly felt something soft on his skin as Nines placed a bathrobe over his shoulders.

"This has all been too much today. I should have taken better care of you," he apologized, stroking Gavin's back as he leaned on the toilet seat, eyes closed and exhausted. He remained in that position for a while before he was sure he wouldn't throw up again. He suddenly felt utterly wiped out and didn't know what he had done to deserve this. He tried to sit up and felt Nines reach under his arms. He felt exhausted as he leaned heavily against the android and didn't even notice how Nines handed him a cup of water. As if controlled by a strange hand, he reached for it. He drank the entire cup before his hand could no longer hold it, and it fell to the floor. He hung powerless in Nines' arms, barely able to move.

He only noticed his feet losing their grip as the android grabbed his legs and lifted him up before he blanked out everything around him.


End file.
